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DAY  UNTO  DAY 


^  OF  fme[ 

A   BRIEF    PRAYER/V^  " 

FOR    EVERY    DA^  p^^,      jg  ,gg^ 

^^-     BY 

GEORGE   MATHESON,    D.D. 


COMPILED    BY 

H.  B. 


New  York         Chicago         Toronto 

Fleming  H.    Revell   Company 

London      and     Edinburgh 


PREFACE 

With  his  sanctified  imagination  and  spirit- 
ual vision,  George  Matheson  holds  foremost 
rank  among  our  writers  of  devotional  books. 
It  is  believed  that  brief  extracts  from  some 
of  his  most  beautiful  prayers  will  be  accept- 
able to  the  Christian  world  at  large,  and  we 
therefore  venture  to  send  forth  this  little 
book  in  the  hope  that,  being  stimulated  by- 
it,  readers  may  turn  for  renewed  inspiration, 
new  "  visions  of  God,"  and  wider  spirit- 
ual outlook,  to  the  larger  works  which  have 
made  the  memory  of  George  Matheson  a 
cherished  possession. 

Thanks  are  tendered  to  the  various 
publishers  for  their  kindly  courtesy  in  al- 
lowing extracts  to  be  taken 

H.  B. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY 

JANUARY  T 

Watchword :  "  I  will  make  all  My  mountains  a  way,  and 
My  highways  shall  be  exalted."— Isa.  xlix.  n. 

Lord,  when  Thou  shalt  enter  my  soul, 
Thou  shalt  reverse  my  standard  of  great- 
ness. Those  things  which  I  counted  gain 
shall  become  insignificant  unto  me,  and 
those  things  which  I  counted  insignificant 
shall  appear  great  gain.  I  care  now  for 
what  I  shall  seem  to  be,  more  than  for 
what  I  am;  but  then,  my  being  shall  be  the 
mountain  and  my  seeming  the  valley. 


JANUARY  2 

Watchword !  "  The  same  came  to  Jesns  by  night." 
John  iii.  2. 

Son  of  Man,  I  am  glad  Thou  hast  suf- 
fered him  thus  to  come.  Those  who  come 
by  night  do  not  always  take  Thy  name : 
they  would  bless  and  pass  by.  But  Thou 
givest  them  the  name  they  have  not  as- 
sumed; Thou  callest  them  after  Thyself. 
They  have  come  to  Thee  in  the  night,  but 
they  shall  claim  their  brotherhood  with  the 
children  of  the  day. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY 


JANUARY  3 

Watchword!  "He  set  my  feet  upon  a  rock,  and  estab- 
lished my  goings."— PsA.  xl.  2. 

Rock  of  Ages,  within  whose  magic  cleft 
my  spirit  would  fain  repose,  it  is  not  to 
shim  the  strife  that  I  come  to  Thee.  I 
come  to  Thee  for  wings,  for  new  power  of 
flight.  I  seek  Thy  rest  because  without 
Thee  I  cannot  soar.  The  road  soon  wearies 
my  feet  if  something  has  not  refreshed  my 
soul,  for  it  is  by  the  soul  and  not  by  the 
feet  that  I  make  my  way.  Rock  of  Ages, 
rest  me  ere  I  go. 


JANUARY  4 

Watchword:  "By  faith  Enoch  was  translated,  that  he 
should  not  see  death."— Heb.  xi.  5. 

Spirit  of  Holiness,  take  of  the  things  of 
Christ  and  show  them  unto  me.  Let  me 
learn  before  I  die  to  love  the  things  on  the 
other  bank  of  death ;  I  would  not  meet 
them  as  the  objects  of  a  foreign  land. 
Teach  me  here  the  rudiments  of  heaven, 
that  to  please  God  may  already  be  my 
pleasure,  that  to  serve  God  may  already 
be  my  freedom,  that  to  know  God  may 
already  be  my  life.  Show  me  the  joy  of 
Thy  salvation,  that  the  place  of  Thy  sal- 
vation may  not  be  to  me  a  pain  ;  this  is  the 
inward  testimony  that  I  want  before  I  go. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY 


JANUARY  5 

"Watchword;  "They  joy  before  Thee  according  to  the 
joy  in  harvest,"— ISA.  ix.  3. 

Oh!  Thou  who  art  come  to  seek  and  to 
save  lost  things,  buried  things,  I  lift  mine 
eyes  to  Thee.  Many  have  offered  me  a 
golden  to-morrow :  Thou  alone  hast  offered 
to  retrieve  my  yesterday.  Restore  to  me  the 
waste  places  of  my  heart.  Reveal  to  me 
the  meaning  of  my  failures.  Show  me  that 
there  was  manna  in  my  desert  that  even 
Canaan  did  not  hold.  Then  shall  mine  be 
a  harvest  joy,  a  resurrection  joy,  the  joy 
of  gathering  the  buried  past.  Then  shall 
my  heart  be  satisfied  that  the  travail  of  the 
soul  was  autumn's  gain. 

JANUARY  6 

"Watchword :  "  Every  valley  shall  he  exalted,  and  every 
monntain  and  hill  shall  be  laid  low."— Is  a.  xl.  4. 

Inspire  me,  O  Lord,  with  the  heroism  of 
the  valleys.  Help  me  to  see  the  elevation 
of  lowly  things.  Reveal  to  me  the  Divine 
beauty  of  meekness,  of  patience,  of  forgive- 
ness. Show  me  Thy  own  power — the  power 
of  the  Cross.  Let  me  learn  the  life  of 
death,  the  victory  of  self-surrender,  the 
joy  of  sacrifice.  The  valleys  of  my  heart 
shall  be  exalted  when  the  mountain  of  my 
pride  is  brought  low. 


8  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

JANUARY  7 

Watchword!  "Where  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is,  there  is 
liberty."— 2  Cor.  iii.  17. 

Until  Thou  comest,  O  Divine  Spirit,  I  am 
not  at  home  in  the  holy  places;  the  pres- 
ence of  my  God  is  not  fulness  of  joy.  Thy 
love  is  the  music  of  my  religion ;  it  puts  me 
in  the  spirit  of  it.  I  no  longer  ask,  "Am  I 
commanded  to  follow  Thee?"  I  say, 
"  Lord,  suffer  me  to  go."  I  no  longer  cry, 
"  I  must  come  to  Thee  or  I  shall  go  to 
hell,"  but  I  say,  "  It  is  hell  without  Thee ; 
bid  me  that  I  come."  Thou  hast  become  my 
vital  air :  I  breathe  in  Thee.  Thy  will  is 
my  joy;  Thy  work  is  my  play;  Thy  service 
is  my  glory ;  Thy  cross  is  my  power ;  Thy 
command  is  my  strength ;  the  constraint  of 
Thy  love  is  my  spirit's  liberty. 

JANUARY  8 

Watchword!  " God  is  light."- 1  John  i.  5. 
My  Father,  come  to  me  in  life's  dawn. 
Be  Thou  Thyself  my  light  into  every  dark- 
ness. Illumine  the  mystery  of  sorrow. 
Teach  me  that  the  Cross  is  Divine.  Show 
me  that  the  Valley  of  the  Shadow  belongs 
to  the  paths  of  righteousness.  Meet  me  at 
the  tabernacle  door  ere  I  begin  the  sacrifice, 
I  shall  go  to  life's  altar  with  exceeding  joy 
when  Thou  shalt  send  forth  Thy  light. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY 


JANUARY  9 

Watchword :  "  Anoint  the  shield."— Isa.  xxi.  5. 

Oh !  Thou  Divine  Man,  let  me  anoint  the 
shield  with  Thee.  I  am  always  forgetting 
the  manna  when  I  review  the  wilderness. 
Light  me  to  the  darkness  which  my  eye  did 
not  meet.  Let  me  see  the  disappearing  sail 
of  the  sorrow  that  has  missed  me.  Guide 
me  to  the  path  of  danger  unborn,  of  tears 
unshed,  of  cries  unspoken.  When  I  am  in 
perplexity  lead  me  to  the  valley  that  is 
lower  than  1.  I  shall  worship  Thee  in  my 
sorrow    when    I    can    worship    behind    the 


shield. 


JANUARY  10 

Watchword!  "  For  the  suffering  of  death,  crowned  with 
glory  and  honour."— Heb.  ii.  g. 

Thou  upon  whose  head  were  many 
crowns,  give  me  the  crown  that  came  be- 
fore Thy  cross.  Ennoble  me  for  the  hour 
of  sacrifice.  Beautify  me  for  the  steps  of 
the  dolorous  way.  Take  me  up  to  Thy 
transfigured  Mount  ere  I  suffer,  and  bathe 
me  in  its  light  unspeakable.  Anoint  me 
with  the  oil  of  love  for  every  burial  of  my 
earthly  joy.  My  cross  shall  become  my 
crown,  when  Thy  crown  has  preceded  my 
cross. 


10  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

JANUARY  II 

Watchword :  "  Abide  with  ns :  for  it  is  toward  eveningj 
and  the  day  is  far  spent."— Luke  xxiv.  29. 

Oh !  Thou  who  art  still  unsheltered  in  the 
night  of  time,  abide  with  me.  Come  into 
my  poor  heart  and  rest  awhile.  I  would 
speak  a  word  from  my  heart  into  Thy  heart, 
to  let  Thee  feel  that  it  beats  with  Thine. 
I  would  give  Thee  what  strength  the  little 
can  lend  to  the  great — the  response  of  a 
kindred  spirit,  the  Amen  of  a  common 
prayer.    Abide  with  me  over  this  night. 


JANUARY  12 

Watchword:  "  Christ  being  raised  from  the  dead,  dieth 
no  more."— Rom.  vi.  9. 

Oh !  Thou  who  art  the  latest  flower  of 
the  garden,  I  am  glad  that  I  can  rest  in 
Thee.  My  heart  is  weary  of  its  wandering. 
I  do  not  need  to  look  forward  any  more, 
not  even  to  heaven.  Heaven  is  not  beyond 
me  when  Thou  art  beside  me.  When  I  have 
reached  the  vision  of  Thee,  I  shall  for  the 
first  time  live  in  the  present.  The  butter- 
fly's wing  shall  1)e  mine  when  I  soar  in  Thy 
air.  Without  Thee  my  sight  has  been  for 
to-morrow :  with  Thee,  my  cry  shall  be, 
"  Now  is  the  accepted  time,  now  is  the  day 
of  salvation." 


DAY  UNTO  DAY 


II 


JANUARY  13 

"Watchword !  "  And  I,  if  I  be  lifted  from  the  earth,  will 
draw  all  men  unto  Me."— John  xii.  32. 

Therefore,  Thou  Crucified  One,  we  cling 
to  Thee  in  Thy  crucifixion.  Thou  art  here 
the  meeting-place  of  our  united  souls.  We 
gather  together  to  meet  Thee  in  the  dolor- 
ous way.  We  load  Thee  with  our  burdens, 
and  Thou  carriest  them  alone  into  the  val- 
ley, and  on  the  other  side  we  see  Thee 
come  out  unburdened  and  we  know  that 
we  are  free. 


JANUARY  14 

Watchword!    "He  mnst  reign  till  He  hath  put  all 
enemies  under  His  feet."— i  Cor.  xv.  25. 

Son  of  Man,  I  understand  Thy  reluctance 
to  be  made  a  king.  Thou  earnest  to  minis- 
ter :  it  was  stern  necessity  that  made  Thee 
reign.  Thy  cross  is  to  feel  Thyself  upon 
the  mountain.  Thou  wouldst  fain  come 
down  to  the  plain — nay.  Thou  wouldst  that 
the  plain  come  up  to  Thee.  Thou  waitest 
for  all  to  be  one  with  Thee.  Thou  waitest 
for  all  to  feel  with  Thee,  to  think  with  Thee, 
speak  with  Thee.  Thou  waitest  to  cast  Thy 
crown  into  the  sea,  and  live  in  hearts  re- 
sponsive to  Thine  own.  Thou  shalt  enter 
into  Thy  glory  when  Thou  shalt  cease  to 
be  a  King. 


12  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

JANUARY  15 

Watchword !  'I  My  voice  shalt  Thou  hear  in  the  morn- 
ing, 0  Lord."-PsA.  V.  3. 

Oh !  Thou  whose  name  is  Love,  it  is  in 
the  offering  of  love  that  Thou  rejoicest. 
Be  mine  the  voice  Thou  shalt  hear  in  the 
morning.  Let  me  bring  Thee  my  heart  un- 
dimmed,  my  life  unweighted.  Let  me  bring 
Thee  a  desire  for  communion  that  is  born, 
not  of  fear,  but  of  love.  If  my  voice  shall 
be  heard  in  the  morning,  I  can  lift  up  my 
head  with  joy. 


JANUARY  16 

Watchword :  "  God  setteth  the  solitary  in  families." 
PsA.  Ixviii.  6. 

Oh !  Thou  Who  hast  consecrated,  not 
only  the  nuptial  torch,  but  the  want  of  it, 
make  room  for  the  solitary  lives.  Kindle 
the  paternal  instinct  in  the  heart  that  is 
no  father.  Light  the  family  altar  in  the 
home  that  has  no  ties.  Give  a  crowded  in- 
terest to  spirits  outside  the  crowd.  Put  the 
burden  of  all  souls  on  the  life  that  has  no 
burden.  Lay  the  debt  of  humanity  on  those 
who  know  not  lesser  bonds.  The  isles  wait 
for  TJice  to  make  them  vocal.  When  Thou 
hast  set  the  solitary  in  families,  there  shall 
be  no  more  sea. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  13 

JANUARY  17 

Watchword  i  "  Cast  thy  bread  upon  the  waters ;  for  thou 
shalt  find  it  after  many  days."— Eccles.  xi.  i. 

Oh !  Love  divinely  speculative,  Love  that 
hast  not  waited  for  the  assurance  of  re- 
ward, Love  that  has  perilled  all  upon  the 
merest  possibility,  let  me  mould  myself  in 
Thee.  If  I  listened  to  the  voice  of  reason 
I  would  say,  "  Let  me  send  no  further  gifts ; 
they  will  be  lost  on  the  face  of  the  waters." 
But  Thou,  O  Lord,  art  earlier  than  reason; 
Thou  art  before  all  things.  Thou  givest  in 
advance  Thy  gold.  Give  me  the  power  to 
risk  like  Thee.  Give  me  the  charity  that 
can  believe  in  the  fallen  where  there  is  no 
sign,  and  love  them  when  there  is  no  cer- 
tainty. The  bread  I  shall  cast  upon  the  wa- 
ters may  not  be  found  till  after  many  days, 
but  in  the  moment  of  my  casting  I  shall 
find  Thee. 

JANUARY  18 
Watchword  i  "  Look  unto  Me,  and  be  ye  saved." 

ISA.  xlv.  22. 

I  will  have  henceforth  no  life  but  Thine. 
O  Thou  Divine  Love,  whom  no  natural  man 
can  behold  and  live,  let  my  natural  heart 
behold  Thee  and  die.  Let  it  fall  to  the 
earth  before  the  exceeding  glory,  and  in  its 
room  let  there  rise  the  new  man  that  only 
lives  in  Thee, 


14  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

JANUARY  19 

Watchword !  "  Truly  our  fellowship  is  with  the  Father 
and  with  His  Son  Jesus  Christ."— i  John  i.  3. 

And  this,  Thou  Divine  Man,  is  my  com- 
fort in  recognising  Thee;  I  must  be  like 
Thee,  when  I  have  seen  Thee  as  Thou  art. 
I  have  recognised  Thee  spite  of  Thy  lowli- 
ness, spite  of  the  thorns  with  which  they 
have  wreathed  Thy  brow.  Whence  have  I 
recognised  Thee?  Surely  because  there  is  a 
cord  between  us  somewhere.  Surely  be- 
cause Thy  Father  is  my  Father.  He  that 
has  seen  Thee  must  have  first  seen  the 
Father. 


JANUARY  20 

Watchword !  "  The  God  of  Israel  will  be  your  rereward." 
ISA.  liii.  12. 

My  God,  Thou  art  my  rereward.  Thou 
art  crucifying  my  past  every  day.  Thou  art 
redeeming  me  from  the  errors  of  yesterday. 
Thou  art  lifting  those  crosses  I  left  by  the 
wayside;  Thy  work  is  undoing  hour  by 
hour  the  mischief  wrought  by  mine.  Oh ! 
Thou  redeemer  of  my  past,  Thou  hast  set 
me  free  to  begin  anew  without  the  damping 
sense  of  spot  or  stain ;  I  have  entered  Thy 
kingdom  again  as  a  little  child;  my  past  is 
all  gathered  up  when  Thou  art  my  rere- 
ward. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  15 

JANUARY  21 

Watchword!  "He  restoreth  my  soul."— Psa.  xxiii.  3. 

Restore  my  soul,  O  God.  There  are  green 
pastures  around  me  for  which  my  eye  has 
no  lens,  there  are  quiet  waters  beside  me 
for  which  my  ear  has  no  chord;  restore  my 
soul.  The  path  on  which  I  go  is  already 
the  path  of  Thy  righteousness ;  open  Thou 
my  eyes,  that  I  may  behold  its  windows. 
The  place  I  call  dreadful  is  even  now  the 
house  of  the  Lord ;  the  heavens  shall  cease 
to  hide  Thee  when  Thou  hast  restored  my 
soul. 

JANUARY  22 

Watchword!  "  I  am  not  ashamed  of  the  G-ospel  of  Christ, 
for  it  is  the  power  of  God."— Rom.  i.  16. 

My  Saviour,  I  am  not  ashamed  to  come 
to  Thee.  My  shame  is  not  for  Thee ;  it  is 
for  the  days  I  have  spent  without  Thee. 
Forbid  that  I  should  come  to  Thee  by  night. 
Let  me  have  humility  by  all  means,  but  let 
it  be  the  humility  of  having  been  so  long 
away  from  Thee,  of  having  lost  so  many 
golden  hours.  Thy  name  shall  be  my  boast. 
Thy  love  shall  be  my  glory.  Thy  service 
shall  be  my  birthright.  Thy  burden  shall 
be  my  kingdom.  Thy  cross  shall  be  my 
crown.  In  the  strength  to  bear  Thy  load  I 
shall  learn  the  power  of  God. 


i6  DAY  UNTO  DAY 


JANUARY  23 

Watchword:  "And  a  certain  lame  man  was  carried, 
whom  they  laid  daily  at  the  gate  of  the  temple 
called  Beantiful."— Acts  iii.  2. 

Son  of  Alan,  gate  of  all  beautiful  temples, 
help  me  to  remember  those  who  carried  me 
to  Thee.  They  passed  and  left  no  monu- 
ment, but  they  opened  for  me  the  gate 
called  Beautiful,  and  I  have  entered  in.  Let 
me  build  on  its  threshold  to  the  memory  of 
the  dead.  Let  me  build  to  the  speechless 
prayers,  the  unuttercd  yearnings,  the  lonely 
vigils  of  hidden  lives.  Let  me  build  to  the 
unspoken  influences  that  drew  my  eyes  to 
the  morning,  and  beckoned  me  up  with  their 
song. 


JANUARY  24 

Watchword:  "I  was  in  the  Spirit  on  the  Lord's  day." 
Rev.  i.  10. 

Spirit  of  the  Lord's  day,  come  into  my 
heart  and  life.  Bring  down  the  sunshine 
and  the  calm  and  the  worship.  Bring  down 
the  joy  of  sclf-forgetfulness,  that  I  may 
learn  the  blessedness  of  thanksgiving.  Bring 
down  the  resurrection  life,  that  I  may  take 
up  the  resurrection  song.  Make  me  a  Sab- 
bath within,  that  I  may  behold  its  mirror 
without,  then  shall  my  days  be  in  spirit  the 
days  of  the  Lord. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  17 

JANUARY  25 

Watchword!  "The  blind  man  looked  up  and  said,  I  see 
men  as  trees  walking.  After  that  He  pnt  His  hand 
upon  his  eyes ;  and  he  saw  every  man  clearly."— 
Mark  viii.  24,  25. 

Even  so,  O  Lord,  Thou  opened  the  eyes 
of  my  spirit.  I  thank  Thee  for  the  first 
imperfect  vision.  The  full  day  would  be 
too  much  for  me.  I  bless  Thee  Thou  hast 
trained  me  by  twilight.  I  may  not  be  ready 
to  accept  the  servant's  form  in  the  midst 
of  the  climax  of  heaven's  glory.  Therefore 
I  am  glad  that  so  softly  Thou  art  lifting  the 
veil.  I  am  glad  that  from  the  summit  of 
my  Pisgah  I  have  not  a  full  vision  of  the 
Promised  Land.  I  thank  Thee,  O  Lord,  for 
the  mist  upon  the  hill. 


JANUARY  26 

Watchword!    "Where  there  is  no  vision  the  people 
perish."— Prov.  xxix.  18. 

My  Father,  open  to  me  the  windows  of 
that  great  deep  to-morrow.  Lend  me  a  ray 
of  the  future  to  guide  me  through  the  pres- 
ent. Send  Thy  vision  of  beauty  into  the 
workshop.  Send  Thy  transfigured  glory 
into  the  building  of  my  human  tabernacles. 
Let  me  sweep  my  earthly  room  by  the  light 
of  Thy  morning  star.  I  have  no  patience 
for  man  without  the  vision  of  Thee.     . 


i8  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

JANUARY  27 

Watchword:  "It  was  revealed  unto  him  hy  the  Holy 
Ghost,  that  he  should  not  see  death,  hefore  he  had 
seen  the  Lord's  Christ."— Luke  ii.  26. 

Our  Father,  Who  art  in  heaven,  reveal 
Thyself  to  us  ere  we  are  translated  to  Thee. 
We  have  said,  ''  First  death  and  then  reve- 
lation." Thou  sayest,  "  First  revelation  and 
then  death."  Let  us  come  to  the  tomb 
through  the  garden,  and  forget  the  fading 
by  reason  of  the  flowers.  Let  us  be  led  by 
the  hand  of  life  through  the  Valley  of  the 
Shadow  of  Death,  Our  departure  shall  be 
no  severance  if  ere  we  go,  we  shall  meet 
with  Thee. 

JANUARY  28 

Watchword ;  "  There  is  no  want  to  them  that  fear  Him." 
PSA.  xxxiv.  Q. 

Oh  !  Thou  divinely  beautiful,  create  within 
me  the  artist's  fear.  Let  me  tremble  before 
Thy  beauty — tremble  with  the  irripossibility 
of  ever  being  worthy  of  Thee.  I  could  not 
feel  the  meanness  of  my  apparel  if  I  had 
not  seen  Thy  bright  raiment.  It  is  by  the 
breath  of  Thy  Spirit  that  I  have  learned 
with  trembling  what  it  is  to  be  dead.  My 
trembling  is  my  triumph;  my  day  of  judg- 
ment is  my  year  of  jubilee,  for  my  cry  has 
come  from  the  taste  of  Thy  glory;  there  is 
no  want  in  them  that  fear  Thee. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  19 

JANUARY  29 

Watchword ;  "  Through  the  hrightness  hefore  Him  were 
coals  of  fire  kindled."— 2  Sam.  xxii.  13. 

My  Father,  give  me  back  my  youth. 
Give  me  back  the  glow  of  expectation  which 
lived  in  to-morrow  and  had  no  yesterday. 
Give  me  back  the  glass  of  hope  that  swept 
the  coming  horizon  and  saw  no  cloud 
therein.  Let  Thy  Christ  make  me  a  child 
again — a  child  on  fire  with  promises.  If 
His  flame  shall  kindle  my  bush,  no  earthly 
care  shall  consume  it.  If  the  Promised 
Land  be  before  me,  clouds  and  darkness 
shall  in  vain  be  around  me :  their  elements 
shall  melt  with  fervent  heat  in  the  bright- 
ness of  hope's  glory. 

JANUARY  30 

Watchword:    "In  the  daytime  He  led  them  with  a 
cloud,  and  all  the  night  with  a  light  of  fire."— Psa. 

Ixxviii.  14. 

My  Father,  gird  me  still  with  Thy  Pres- 
ence, both  by  day  and  by  night.  By  day, 
teach  me  to  remember  my  weakness,  and  by 
night  tell  me  where  lies  my  strength.  By 
day  point  me  down  into  Gethsemane,  and 
by  night  lead  me  up  into  the  mount  of 
transfigured  glory.  By  day  show  me  the 
burden,  and  by  night  reveal  to  me  the  crown, 
so  shall  my  days  and  nights  be  girt  about 
with  Thee. 


20  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

JANUARY  31 

Watchword :  "  Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit,  for  theirs 
is  the  kingdom  of  heaven."— Matt.  v.  3. 

Even  so,  O  Lord,  as  long  as  I  am  apart 
from  Thee,  I  am  self-satisfied,  because  I 
have  no  standard  by  which  to  measure  my 
low  stature.  But  when  I  come  near  to 
Thee,  then  for  the  first  time  I  see  myself. 
In  Thy  light  I  behold  my  darkness.  In  Thy 
purity  I  behold  my  corruption.  My  very 
confession  of  sin  is  the  fruit  of  holiness. 
Oh !  Thou  Divine  Man,  let  me  gaze  on  Thee 
more  and  more,  until,  in  the  vision  of  Thy 
brightness,  I  loathe  the  sight  of  my  im- 
purit)^  until  in  the  blaze  of  that  glory  which 
human  eye  hath  not  seen  I  fall  prostrate, 
blinded,  broken,  to  rise  again  a  new  man  in 
Thee. 


FEBRUARY  i 

Watchword;  "Behold,  the  bush  burned  with  fire,  and 
the  bush  was  not  consumed."— Exod.  iii.  2. 

In  Thee,  O  Lord,  let  my  heart  be  kin- 
dled. Thy  love  alone  can  wake  my  love. 
Thy  fire  alone  can  impart  fire  to  me.  De- 
scend into  my  heart  and  kindle  it :  wake  it 
into  the  fervour  of  burning  zeal.  Stimulate 
it  into  the  blaze  of  a  high  enthusiasm  which 
shall  people  the  very  wilderness  with  inter- 
ests innumerable.  Then  shall  my  heart  be 
ever  young. 

FEBRUARY  2 

Watchword:  "As  for  Sara  thy  wife,  Sarah  shall  her 
name  be,  and  I  will  bless  her,  and  she  shall  be  a 
mother  of  nations."— Gen.  xvii.  15,  16. 

I  bless  Thee  for  this  portrait,  O  my  God. 
I  am  grateful  for  the  primitive  vision  of  a 
mistress  of  the  home.  May  her  love  be 
steadfast,  steadfast  in  the  most  trying 
things,  the  commonplace  things.  When  the 
romantic  has  given  place  to  the  practical, 
may  love  not  be  killed  thereby.  If  Abraham 
sometimes  appear  to  lose  his  glow,  may 
Sarah  not  lose  hers.  May  she  remember 
that  man  has  more  toil  than  woman,  and 
is  subject  to  more  weariness  of  the  soul. 
Let  her  make  allowance  for  the  clouds  in 
the  masculine  sky.  May  her  devotion  be 
undimmed  by  the  desert.  Cherish  her  by 
chastity,  protect  her  by  purity,  defend  her 
by  fidelity,  keep  her  by  constancy  of  heart. 
21 


22  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

FEBRUARY  3 

Watchword:  "My  Spirit  shall  not  always  strive  with 
maiii"— Gen.  vi.  3. 

Spirit  Divine,  why  is  it  that  I  am  at  war 
with  Thee?  Nothing  else  is  at  war  with 
Thee.  I  am  the  only  thing  in  creation  which 
strives  with  Thee,  which  needs  to  be  recon- 
ciled with  Thee.  They  say  that  to  believe 
in  Thee  is  to  believe  in  that  which  contra- 
dicts reason ;  no,  it  is  to  find  something 
which  destroys  the  contradiction.  Spirit  of 
Christ,  conquer  my  will,  that  the  miracle 
may  be  destroyed.  Reconcile  my  heart  to 
Thy  heart,  that  there  may  be  no  more  vio- 
lation of  Thy  law, 

FEBRUARY  4 

Watchword :  "  Good  tidings  of  great  joy,  which  shall  he 
to  all  people."— Luke  ii.  10, 

I  rejoice,  O  my  Father,  that  Thou  hast 
given  me  a  treasure  which  I  need  not  hide 
from  my  brother.  I  can  tell  my  grief  to 
the  glad,  but  not  my  gladness  to  the  griev- 
ing. Extinguish  the  joy  that  is  proud  of 
being  unshared.  Let  down  the  lights  that 
make  a  wall  between  myself  and  the  weary. 
And  over  the  darkness  let  there  rise  a  star 
■ — Bethlehem's  star,  humanity's  star,  the  star 
that  shines  for  one  because  it  shines  for  all. 
When  I  see  the  common  star  I  shall  rejoice 
with  exceeding  great  joy. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  23 

FEBRUARY  5 

Watchword :  "  I  have  filled  him  with  the  Spirit  of  God, 
in  wisdom,  and  in  understanding,  and  in  knowledge, 
and  in  all  manner  of  workmanship,  to  work  in  gold, 
and  in  silver,  and  in  brass."— Exod.  xxxi.  3,  4. 

Spirit  of  Christ,  Spirit  that  hast  incar- 
nated Thyself  in  the  brass  and  iron  of  this 
world,  I  come  to  Thee.  Thou  Spirit  of  the 
incarnation,  inspire  me  for  the  labours  of 
the  l^esh.  Quicken  me  for  the  toils  of  dusty- 
land  and  bustling  mart.  Nerve  me  for  the 
troubles  of  the  exchange,  the  counting- 
house,  the  workshop.  Fit  me  to  bear  the 
crosses,  and  the  losses,  that  await  the  deal- 
ings between  man  and  man.  The  incarna- 
tion of  Christ  shall  be  completed  when 
Thou  hast  filled  the  brass,  the  silver,  the 
gold. 

FEBRUARY  6 

Watchword !  "  Bnt  if  there  he  no  resurrection  of  the 
dead,  then  is  Christ  not  risen,"— i  Cor.  xv.  5. 

Son  of  Man,  whenever  I  doubt  of  life  I 
think  of  Thee.  Nothing  is  so  impossible  as 
that  Thou  shouldst  be  dead.  Therefore, 
when  oppressed  by  the  sight  of  death  I 
shall  turn  to  Thee.  I  shall  see  my  immor- 
tality. I  shall  read  the  possibilities  of  my 
soul  in  Thee.  I  shall  measure  the  promise 
of  my  manhood  by  Thee,  I  shall  comfort 
myself  by  the  impossible  conclusion :  "  If 
there  be  no  immortality,  Christ  is  dead." 


24  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

FEBRUARY  7 

Watchword ; "  Declared  to  be  the  Son  of  God  with  power, 
by  the  resurrection  from  the  dead."— Rom.  i.  3,  4. 

Thou,  O  Lord,  hast  lighted  my  torch 
within  the  valley.  Thou  hast  bloomed  from 
the  ground  of  my  winter.  Thou  hast 
smiled  from  the  mist  of  my  tears.  It  is 
with  the  key  of  death  Thou  hast  opened 
heaven ;  it  is  in  the  robes  of  Thy  grave 
Thou  hast  found  revival.  I  put  immor- 
telles on  the  grave  to  say  that  death  is  a 
delusion — to  tell,  not  so  much  that  it  is  con- 
quered, as  that  it  had  no  need  to  be  con- 
quered. Thou  hast  destroyed,  not  death, 
but  death's  deception :  the  resurrection  from 
the  dead  is  the  message  of  Easter  Day. 

FEBRUARY S 

Watchword:  "Love  notthe  world."— i  John  ii.  15. 

Men  tell  me,  O  Christ,  that  Thy  cross  is 
meant  to  crucify  the  world  in  me.  Yes,  but 
the  world  in  me  is  not  my  companionship, 
but  my  solitude.  When  Thou  sayest, 
"  Love  not  the  world,"  Thou  sayest,  "  Love 
not  thyself."  I  am  too  much  alone,  too 
much  with  my  own  thoughts.  I  am  ab- 
sorbed in  the  world — the  world  of  my  own 
soul.  Abolish  my  desert  life,  my  walking 
in  the  wilderness.  The  world  is  within  my 
own  heart.  When  I  have  left  the  world,  I 
shall  have  fellowship  with  all. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  25 


FEBRUARY  9 

Watchword  i  "  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their 
eyes."— Rev.  vii.  17. 

My  God,  set  right  the  broken  spring.  Re- 
store to  me  the  joy  of  Thy  salvation.  Thou 
hast  given  me  back  my  freedom,  give  me 
back  my  wings.  Take  away  the  weariness, 
the  jadedness,  that  follow  the  hour  of  strug- 
gle. Heal  the  shrinking  of  the  sinew  that 
succeeds  the  angel's  blessing.  Remove  the 
paralysis  that  lingers  after  the  sorrow  itself 
has  fled.  When  I  stand  beside  the  fountains 
of  living  water,  do  Thou  wipe  away  past 
tears  from  my  eyes. 

FEBRUARY  10 

Watchword !  "  They  shall  hunger  no  more,  neither  thirst 
any  more."— Rev.  vii.  16. 

Son  of  Man,  I  am  hungry  and  thirsty,  I 
am  homeless  and  friendless,  I  am  footsore 
and  weary,  but  no  mansion  has  yet  opened 
for  me.  All  other  things  have  places  pre- 
pared for  them— all  but  my  heart.  Prepare 
a  mansion  for  my  heart,  Thou  whose  name 
is  Love.  My  unplaced  heart  is  the  one  mir- 
acle of  creation,  the  only  thing  that  violates 
the  lav/  of  the  Father.  Annul  the  miracle 
and  give  me  peace.  Send  me  a  promised 
land,  whose  reality  shall  not  dim  the  ex- 
pectant vision  of  Moses.  At  the  beautiful 
gate  of  Thy  temple  I  shall  hunger  no  more. 


26  DAY  UNTO  DAY 


FEBRUARY  ii 

Watchword ;  "  I  will  appear  in  the  cloud  upon  the  mercy- 
seat."— Lev.  XVi.  2. 

My  soul,  art  thou  trembling  under  the 
cloud?  Thou  needst  not  be.  Thou  hast 
gazed  on  the  pure  fountains  of  living  water, 
or  thou  wouldst  not  murmur  at  the  stag- 
nant pools.  It  is  thy  transfiguration  that 
has  made  thy  cloud.  The  shadow  that  ob- 
scures thee  is  thy  God  passing  by.  Oh ! 
mist  clearer  than  the  sunshine.  Oh! 
sweeter  than  earthly  joy— my  Father's  face 
appears  in  thee. 

FEBRUARY  12 

Watchword!  "And  the  manna  ceased  on  the  morrow 
after  they  had  eaten  of  the  old  corn  of  the  land."— 
Josh.  v.  12. 

My  God,  Thou  dost  not  send  to  me  as  to 
Elijah  celestial  messengers  of  sustenance, 
but  terrestrial  messengers.  Thou  sendest 
the  revolving  seasons  of  nature,  the  love  of 
human  hearts,  the  influence  of  vanished 
lives.  Thou  wilt  not  feed  my  weak  brother 
with  streams  of  miraculous  manna,  lest 
thereby  Thou  shouldst  take  from  me  the 
nourishment  of  being  his  keeper.  The 
supernatural  manna  has  failed,  so  that 
through  the  helpfulness  of  the  human  heart, 
Thy  love,  O  Father,  now  distributes  the  old 
corn  of  the  land. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  27 

FEBRUARY  13 

Watchword !  "  0  send  out  Thy  light  and  Thy  truth  i  let 
them  lead  me:  let  them  bring  me  unto  Thy  holy 
hill,  and  to  Thy  tabernacles."— Ps a.  xliii.  3. 

To  Thee,  O  Life  Divine,  from  step  to 
step  I  rise — through  leading,  through  ec- 
stasy, through  peace,  through  sacrifice — up 
to  Thy  love,  which  is  sacrificial  joy.  Shine 
from  the  topmost  height,  Thou  Divine  joy. 
Often  I  am  led  by  a  way  which  by  myself 
I  would  not  go.  Shine  out.  Thou  Christ, 
and  the  tabernacle  shall  no  more  seem  a 
decadence  from  the  hill-top.  Shine  out, 
and  the  days  of  leading  shall  themselves  be 
days  of  light,  cheered  by  an  unknown  pros- 
pect, sustained  by  a  promise  of  exceeding 
joy. 

FEBRUARY  14 

Watchword!  "To  them  which  sat  in  the  region  and 
shadow  of  death  light  is  sprung  up."— -^I  att.  iv.  16. 

Oh,  Thou  who  hast  made  all  things  new 
by  Thy  rising  sun,  I  understand  death  in 
Thee.  I  have  called  it  the  great  eclipse, 
and  so  it  is :  but  it  is  the  eclipse  by  Thee. 
It  is  Thy  shadow  passing  between  me  and 
the  earth.  Thou  art  the  shadow  of  death, 
O  my  Father :  Thou  art  the  cloud  on  the 
mercy-seat.  I  shall  not  fear  any  longer  to 
sit  in  the  region  of  blinding  death,  since  I 
know  that  I  am  blinded  by  the  light  above 
the  brightness  of  the  sun. 


28  DAY  UNTO  DAY 


FEBRUARY  15 

Watchword ;  "My  Spirit  shall  not  always  strive  with 
man."— Gen.  vi.  3. 

Spirit  of  the  Heavenly  Father,  conquer 
my  will.  Unite  my  purpose  to  Thy  pur- 
pose, that  I  may  be  in  harmony  with  all 
things,  and  that  all  things  may  work  to- 
gether for  my  good.  Let  me  know  for  the 
first  time  the  joy  of  being  no  anomaly  m 
the  universe  of  life,  no  interruption  m  the 
order  of  nature.  All  things  shall  be  sub- 
ject unto  Thee  when  I  have  ceased  to 
strive. 

FEBRUARY  16 

Watchword:  "  The  Spirit  of  God  moved  upon  the  face  of 
the  waters."-GEN.  i.  2. 

Oh !  Thou  Divine  Spirit,  whose  breath 
preceded  all  things,  I  am  seeking  to  invert 
the  order  of  Thy  work.  I  am  askmg  for 
other  things  before  Thee.  I  am  crying  for 
light,  for  sun  and  moon  and  star,  for  the 
green  herb,  for  the  bird  of  heaven.  I  am 
forgetting  that  without  Thee  the  light 
would  not  charm,  the  grass  would  not 
grow,  the  bird  would  not  sing.  Come  Thy- 
self first  of  all  and  move  upon  the  face  of 
the  waters.  Come  and  let  me  see  the  image 
of  God  in  my  brother  man,  that  I  may  learn 
to  love  him  as  my  other  self,  and  in  the  joy 
of  love  may  find  universal  joy. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  29 

FEBRUARY  17 

Watchword ;  "  I  was  in  the  Spirit  on  the  Lord's  day." 
Rev.  i.  10. 

Spirit  of  Christ,  be  Tiiou  my  pillar  of 
cloud  by  day,  my  pillar  of  fire  by  night. 
Teach  me  my  nothingness  in  the  hour  of 
my  prosperity ;  tell  me  in  my  adversity 
that  I  am  something  to  Thee.  Redeem 
from  dust  alike  my  mornings  and  my  even- 
ings, that  I  may  claim  as  Thy  gifts,  not 
only  angels  and  principalities,  but  the  world 
and  life  as  well.  The  day  of  common  work 
shall  be  the  Lord's  day,  when  I  can  say, 
like  the  man  of  Patmos,  "  I  was  in  the 
Spirit." 

FEBRUARY  18 

Watchword :  "  The  Lord  came  down  in  a  clond,  and  spake 
unto  him,  and  took  of  the  Spirit  that  was  upon  him, 
and  gave  it  unto  the  seventy  elders."— Num.  xi.  25. 

Son  of  Man,  let  Thy  cross  be  my  medium 
of  human  brotherhood.  Under  the  shadow 
of  Thy  cloud,  let  me  meet  face  to  face 
witH  the  soul  of  my  brother  man.  May  we 
be  bound  together  in  the  unity  of  Thy 
Spirit,  the  spirit  of  sacrifice,  the  spirit  of 
self-surrendering  love.  May  we  be  united 
by  the  fellowship  of  the  mystery — the  mys- 
tery of  suffering.  Join  us  in  Thy  cross,  O 
Son  of  Man ;  unite  us  by  Thy  sacrifice ;  con- 
nect  us   by   Thy   cloud. 


qo  DAY  UNTO  DAY 


FEBRUARY  19 

■Watchword:  "Every  spirit  that  confesseth  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  come  in  the  flesh  is  of  Qod."-i  John  iv.  2. 

Oh  !  Thou  who  art  altogether  lovely,  give 
me  the  power  to  see  Thy  beauty  even  where 
it  tries  to  hide  itself.  Help  me  to  confess 
Thee  ''  in  the  flesh,"  in  the  disguise  of  that 
which  is  not  beautiful.  Be  it  mine  to  see 
Thy  presence  in  struggle  and  in  sorrow, 
in  labour  and  in  ladenness,  in  Galilee  and  in 
Gethsemane.  Then  shall  I  know  that  I 
have  an  artist's  soul  for  Thee,  and  that  the 
beauty  by  which  I  see  Thee  is  Thine  own 
beauty.  I  am  partaker  of  Thy  Spirit's 
loveliness  when  I  have  learned  to  worship 
it  "  in  the  flesh." 

FEBRUARY  20 

Watchword:  "Then  said  Thomas,  Let  us  also  go,  that 
we  may  die  with  Him."— John  xi.  16. 

Jesus,  type  of  perfect  beauty,  I  have  wan- 
dered" from  all  but  Thee.  I  have  lost  the 
view  of  Thy  kingdom.  Thy  power,  and  Thy 
glory.  I  see  no  angel  sitting  on  the  grave- 
stone:  I  catch  no  jubilant  cry,  "He  is  not 
here."  But  I  bring  my  spices  all  the  same. 
I  shall  love  Thee  for  Thyself  when  Pilate 
has  disrobed  Thee.  I  shall  love  Thee  for 
Thyself  when  despair  has  sealed  a  stone 
over  Thy  sepulchre.  Rather  than  reign 
with  Caesar  I  shall  die  with  Thee. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  31 

FEBRUARY  21 

Watchword  i  "  And  their  eyes  were  opened ;  and  Jesns 
straightly  charged  them,  saying,  See  that  no  man 
know  it."— Matt.  ix.  30. 

Thou  coverest  my  face,  O  Christ,  that  I 
may  not  see  Thy  glory ;  dost  veil  Thy  coro- 
net, that  I  may  come  to  Thy  inner  beauty. 
Oh  !  blest  disguise.  Oh  !  glorious  veil.  Oh  ! 
revealing  silence.  My  heart  finds  itself  in 
Thee.  It  has  loved  a  captive,  and  He  is 
found  to  be  a  King.  I  bless  his  mighty 
Name  that  he  won  my  love  unknown. 

FEBRUARY  22 

Watchword !  "  Blessed  are  the  meek,  for  they  shall 
inherit  the  earth."— Matt.  v.  5. 

Son  of  Man,  Thou  hast  lighted  a  new 
star  in  my  sky — the  star  of  Womanhood. 
It  has  come  to  me  from  the  East  after  all 
— the  masculine  East,  the  East  whose  lands 
have  more  law  than  love.  Thou  art  my 
evening  Star,  O  Christ,  and  Thine  is  the 
light  of  ideal  womanhood.  On  the  mount 
of  Thy  Beatitudes  Thou  hast  lit  a  new  fire 
of  greatness  and  left  it  burning  there.  I 
can  never  again  point  the  youth  to  the  red 
path  of  glory.  Ever  must  I  say,  Blessed 
are  the  meek,  the  merciful.  The  virtues  of 
the  mount  have  become  the  aspirations  of 
the  plain ;  in  Thy  feminine  greatness  the 
head  of  the  serpent  has  been  bruised. 


^o  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

FEBRUARY  23 

Watchword :  "  Behold,  He  cometh  with  clouds ;  and  every 
eye  shall  see  Him."— Rev.  i.  7. 

Oh !  Thou  who  hast  made  the  cloud  as 
well  as  the  sunshine,  help  me  to  see  that  it 
too  follows  in  Thy  train.  Help  me  to  know 
that  the  affliction  of  time  is  actually  work- 
ing out  the  weight  of  glory  in  eternity.  Let 
my  vision  of  Thy  faithfulness  reach  even 
unto  the  clouds  of  my  earthly  day.  Show 
me  Thy  love  in  the  things  I  call  loveless ; 
show  me  Thy  face  as  it  shines  behind  the 
veil. 


FEBRUARY  24 

Watchword ;  "  That  which  we  have  seen  and  heard  de- 
clare we  nnto  yon,  that  ye  also  may  have  fellowship 
withns."-!  JOHN  i.  3. 

Son  of  ]\Ian,  give  us  a  common  interest 
in  Thee :  it  is  the  only  thing  that  will  make 
us  one.  Help  us  through  a  common  love 
to  forget  our  individual  desires.  It  is  my 
individual  desires  that  make  me  a  dull  com- 
panion. Often  in  the  social  hour  I  sit  silent, 
not  because  I  am  ignorant,  but  because  I 
am  uninterested.  Crucify  my  world,  O 
Christ.  Crucify  my  spirit  of  isolation,  my 
desire  to  be  alone.  Give  me  power  to  come 
out  from  myself  into  the  community  of 
men,  into  the  common  love. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  33 

FEBRUARY  25 

Watchword :  ''Bnt  one  thing  I  do,  forgetting  those  things 
which  are  behind  ...  I  press  toward  the  mark  for  the 
prize  of  the  high  calling  of  God,  in  Christ  Jesus."— 
Phil.  iii.  13,  14. 

Aly  God,  it  is  my  poverty  that  aims  at 
Thee.  It  is  my  humility  that  soars  to  Thee. 
It  is  my  nothingness  that  dares  to  hope  for 
Thee.  From  the  grave  of  my  buried  past 
I  climb  into  the  light  of  a  new  day.  Accept 
my  poverty  of  soul,  for  I  have  forgotten  the 
things  that  are  behind. 

FEBRUARY  26 

Watchword  i  "  The  exceeding  greatness  of  His  power  to 
usward  who  believe."— Eph.  i.  19. 
Lord,  let  me  in  that  I  may  see  Thee.  I 
have  been  trying  too  long  to  judge  Thee 
from  the  outside :  let  me  in.  I  have  asked 
my  soul  where  is  the  sign  of  Thy  power. 
I  have  asked  what  good  there  is  in  being 
good.  I  have  forgotten  that  the  advantage 
can  only  be  seen  inside  the  door.  I  have 
forgotten  that  the  reward  of  art  is  beauty, 
that  the  reward  of  loving  is  being  loved, 
that  the  reward  of  holiness  is  strength  in 
temptation.  I  shall  see  Thy  power  within 
Thy  holy  place.  Let  me  gaze  on  Thy 
world  from  where  Thou  art  Thyself  stand- 
ing. And  I  know  that  the  prospect  shall  be 
changed ;  I  shall  see  Thy  exceeding  power 
when  once  I  have  believed. 


34  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

FEBRUARY  27 

Watchword :  "  And  Pharaoh  said  nnto  his  servants,  Can 
we  find  such  a  man  as  this  is,  a  man  in  whom  the 
Spirit  of  God  is  ?  "-Gen.  xli.  38. 

Spirit  of  Christ,  fit  me  for  the  earth  on 
which  I  dwell.  I  used  to  ask  that  Thou 
wouldst  prepare  me  for  death;  Thy  main 
province  is  to  prepare  me  for  life.  I  am 
growing  more  impressed  with  the  solem- 
nity of  living  than  of  dying.  I  am  growing 
more  impressed  with  the  need  of  Thee  in 
things  common  than  in  things  transcen- 
dental. I  need  thee  both  for  the  seven 
years  of  plenty  and  for  the  seven  years  of 
famine.  Without  Thee  I  cannot  bear  either 
the  one  or  the  other. 


FEBRUARY  28 

Watchword ;  "  Work  ont  yonr  own  salvation  with  fear 
and  trembling ,  for  it  is  God  which  worketh  in  yon 
both  to  will  and  to  do  of  His  good  pleasnre."-PHiL. 

ii.  12,  13. 

Son  of  Man,  help  me  to  work  out  the 
plan  of  Thy  salvation.  Even  though  it 
should  be  by  lower  motives,  guide  me  to 
build  the  hive.  Cause  me  to  lay  my  stores 
of  honey  in  the  right  place— I  mean,  the 
right  place  for  Thee ;  put  it  where  its  sweet- 
ness may  refresh  others,  even  though  its 
investment  may  be  a  failure  to  myself. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  35 


FEBRUARY  29 
"Watchword:  " Rebekah loved  Jacob."— Gen.  xxv.  28. 
Lord,  help  the  mothers  of  our  land  to 
train  their  children  for  the  calling  suited  to 
them.  Give  them  something  of  Rebekah's 
insight.  Have  they  a  boy  of  dreams  gaz- 
ing ever  towards  the  starlight  to  find  a 
ladder  between  earth  and  sky,  let  them  not 
send  him  to  break  stones  in  the  quarry. 
Above  all,  O  Lord,  let  them  set  apart 
the  right  man  for  Thee.  Give  Rebekah  an 
inspired  heart  to  choose  the  minister  of 
the  family.  Wing  her  soul  with  Thy  wis- 
dom; light  her  eyes  with  Thy  love;  direct 
her  vision  with  Thy  discernment.  Give  her 
the  power  to  see  on  which  member  of  her 
household  the  spirit  is  alighting  in  the  form 
of  a  dove,  and  when  she  beholds  the  dove- 
like form  she  will  know  that  she  has  found 
the  man. 


MARCH  I 

"Watchword  •.  "  For  we,  throtigli  the  Spirit,  by  faith  wait 
for  the  hope  of  righteousness."— Gal.  v.  5. 

Thou,  O  Spirit,  hast  brought  into  this 
world  a  new  order  of  heroes — the  men  who 
can  wait.  Thou  hast  made  patience  divine. 
Thou  hast  taught  us  that  the  Father's  will 
may  be  received,  just  because  it  is  His 
will.  Thou  hast  revealed  to  us  that  a 
soul  may  see  nothing  but  sorrow  in  the  cup, 
and  yet  may  refuse  to  let  it  go,  convinced 
that  the  eye  of  the  Father  sees  further  than 
its  own.  Give  me  the  power  to  wait  for 
hope  itself.  I  shall  reach  the  climax  of 
strength  when  I  have  learned  to  wait  for 
hope. 

MARCH  2 

Watchword :  "  And  I,  if  I  be  lifted  np  from  the  earth, 
will  draw  all  men  unto  Me."— JoHxV  xii.  32. 

Oh !  strength  that  could  restrain  strength, 
I  bow  myself  before  Thee.  I  see  Thee 
lifted  up,  not  from  Thy  humiliation,  but 
by  Thy  humiliation.  Thy  cross  hath 
crowned  Thee,  Thy  gentleness  made  Thee 
great.  The  thorns  that  wreathe  Thy  brow 
have  become  a  laurel  wreath,  green  with 
the  reviving  hope  of  myriad  human  hearts. 
Thou  are  wearing  our  thorn,  Thou  art 
sharing  our  cross,  and  in  the  joys  of  our 
frailty  made  Divine,  our  souls  rise  up  to 
meet  Thee  uplifted  in  the  majesty  of  death. 

36 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  37 

MARCH  3 

Watchword ;  "  Lest  peradventure  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord 
hath  taken  him  up,  and  cast  him  upon  some  moun- 
tain, or  into  some  valley."— 2  Kings  ii.  16. 

Spirit  of  Christ,  let  Thy  chariot  o£  fire 
lift  me  above  both  the  valley  and  the  moun- 
tain. It  is  my  little  knowledge  of  Thee 
that  is  a  dangerous  thing.  If  my  flight  were 
only  higher  I  should  be  in  no  fear  from 
either  the  mountain  or  the  valley.  Both 
would  dwindle  into  insignificance  before 
the  contemplation  of  a  heavenly  glory. 
Therefore,  Thou  Spirit,  lift  me  from  the 
partial  into  the  full  knowledge  of  Thyself. 
When  I  have  entered  Thy  chariot  of  fire,  I 
shall  steer  the  middle  way  between  the 
mountain  and  the  vale. 

MARCH  4 

Watchword  {  "  The  Lord  blessed  the  latter  end  of  Job 
more  than  the  beginning."— Job  xlii.  12. 

Thou,  O  Lord,  canst  transform  my  thorn 
into  a  flower.  And  I  want  my  thorn  trans- 
formed into  a  flower.  Job  has  got  the  sun- 
shine after  the  rain,  but  has  the  rain  been 
all  waste?  Job  wants  to  know,  I  want 
to  know,  if  the  shower  had  nothing  to  do 
with  the  shining.  And  Thou  canst  tell  me 
— Thy  cross  can  tell  me.  Thou  hast 
crowned  Thy  sorrow.     Be  this  my  crown, 

0  Lord.      I    only   triumph    in    Thee    when 

1  have  learned  the  radiance  of  the  rain. 


38  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

MARCH  5 

Watchword!  "And  the  Spirit  of  G-od  came  upon  Sanl 
when  he  heard  those  tidings,  and  his  anger  was 
kindled  greatly."— i  Sam.  xi.  6. 

Spirit  of  Christ,  who  hast  come  to  con- 
secrate my  whole  hiim.an  nature,  consecrate 
my  anger  too.  Thou  art  not  sent  to  muti- 
late my  present  powers,  but  to  redeem 
them  from  mutilation.  There  are  times 
in  which  I  do  well  to  be  angry,  but  I  have 
mistaken  these  times.  I  am  eager  to  re- 
venge an  individual  offence,  but  I  am 
regardless  of  the  principle  from  which  the 
offence  springs.  Rouse  me  into  that  groan- 
ing of  the  spirit  whose  tears  are  born,  not 
of  weakness,  but  of  holy  passion — the 
passion  against  malice  and  hatred  and  envy 
and   all   uncharitableness. 


MARCH  6 

Watchword;  "  Be  angry  and  sin  not."— Eph.  iv.  26. 

Spirit  of  Christ,  wake  me  into  sympathy 
with  that  fiery  zeal  which  burned  with  indig- 
nation to  see  life's  temple  desecrated.  The 
passions  of  my  heart  belong  now  to  the 
Mammon  of  unrighteousness ;  transport 
them  into  the  service  of  righteousness,  and 
they  shall  1)ccome  Thy  friends.  When  Thy 
fire  shall  baptize  my  soul  I  shall  know  what 
it  is  to  "  be  angry  and  sin  not." 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  39 

MARCH  7 

Watchword !  "  Then  they  laid  their  hands  on  them,  and 
they  received  the  Holy  Ghost."— Acts  vii.  17. 

Son  of  Man,  I  accept  the  price  of  Thy 
revelation :  I  accept  the  penalty  of  love.  I 
bow  my  head  to  the  burden  of  human  care. 
I  would  not  be  compelled  to  bear  Thy 
cross :  I  would  choose  it  in  love.  Let  me 
get  a.  corner  to  carry  of  Thy  mighty  load. 
Let  me  be  a  spectator  of  Thy  passion  hour. 
When  the  multitude  have  laid  their  hands 
upon  me,  the  day  of  crucifixion  shall  be 
the  day  of  love. 

MARCH  8 

Watchword :  "  I  heard  behind  me  a  voice,  saying.  Blessed 
be  the  glory  of  the  Lord  from  His  place,"— Ezek.  iii. 
12. 

Lift  me,  O  God,  that  I  may  hear  the 
voice  of  blessings  behind  me.  Let  me  see 
Thee  as  Jacob  saw  Thee  at  Peniel — as  a 
vindication  of  his  struggle,  as  an  explana- 
tion of  his  grief.  Let  me  see  Thee  as  Saul 
saw  Thee  at  Tarsus — sending  the  future 
sunshine  in  the  disguise  of  present  dark- 
ness. Let  me  see  Thee  as  John  saw  Thee 
at  Patmos — revealing  that  the  clouds  of 
life  were  themselves  but  modes  of  Thy 
coming.  I  shall  not  weep  for  the  depression 
of  the  passing  hour  if  only  when  the  timic 
of  Thine  unlifting  comes  I  shall  see  be- 
hind me  the  glory  of  the  Lord. 


40  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

MARCH  9 

Watchword :  "  Behold,  a  company  of  prophets  met  Sanl : 
and  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  came  upon  him,  and  he 
prophesied  among  them."— i  Sam.  x.  io. 

Spirit  of  Christ,  consecrate  the  scenes 
amidst  which  I  move.  Reveal  to  me  the 
hohness  of  common  things.  Teach  me  the 
sacredness  of  what  I  call  secular.  Tell  me 
that  Th}^  voice  speaks  to  me  through  the 
heart  of  my  brother  man?  that  Thou  send- 
est  now  Thy  messages,  not  by  angels,  but 
by  human  souls.  My  whole  life  shall  be 
a  sacrament  when  Thou  shalt  meet  me  alike 
in  the  company  or  on  the  hill. 

MARCH  10 

Watchword !  "  In  whom  after  that  ye  helieved,  ye  were 
sealed  with  the  Holy  Spirit  of  promise."— Efh.  i.  13. 

Oh !  Thou  beneficent  Spirit,  I  bless  Thee 
that  first  of  all  there  has  come  the  beatific 
vision,  that  Thou  hast  shown  me  the 
crown  of  glory  before  the  crown  of 
thorns.  The  brightness  of  Thy  morning 
shall  keep  me  all  the  day.  It  shall  keep 
me  through  the  cloud  and  the  cold,  mid 
the  burden  and  the  care ;  it  shall  hold  me 
erect  in  the  monotony  of  the  plain.  I  shall 
walk  aloft  through  the  storm  when  I  hear 
Thy  morning  song  behind  mc,  and  the  yoke 
of  toil  shall  be  easy  when  I  remember  Thy 
promise  in  the  dawn. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  41 

MARCH  II 

"Watchword ;  "  These  be  they  who  separate  themselves, 
sensnal,  having  not  the  Spirit-"~JUDE  ig. 

I  am  weary  of  my  island  life,  O  Spirit; 
it  is  absence  from  Thee.  Set  my  feet  in  the 
space  where  many  congregate.  Place  me 
on  the  continent  of  human  sympathy,  where 
I  can  find  my  brother  by  day  and  by  night 
— where  storms  divide  not,  where  storms 
intervene  not,  where  depths  of  downward 
distance  drown  not  love.  When  I  have  en- 
tered the  gates  of  the  city  I  shall  bid 
farewell  to  the  wilderness ;  when  I  have 
received  Thy  bond  of  brotherhood  I  shall 
separate   myself   no   more. 

MARCH  12 

Watchword :  "  The  glory  of  the  Lord  shall  be  thy  re- 
reward."— Isa.  Iviii.  8. 

Spirit  Divine,  reveal  to  me  the  glory  of 
the  things  behind  me,  teach  me  the  provi- 
dence of  the  events  that  have  gone  by.  I 
trusted  Thee  while  they  were  going  by ;  I 
was  content  to  walk  by  faith ;  I  murmured 
not.  But  faith  is  not  Thy  goal  for  me : 
it  is  sight.  It  is  not  enough  that  I  should 
feel  Thee  to  be  my  King:  I  must  see  the 
King  in  His  beauty.  I  have  not  asked  to 
trace  Thee  while  Thy  chariot  wheels  were 
passing ;  but  now  that  they  are  past,  O 
Spirit,  let  me  see  Thy  face. 


42  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

MARCH  13 

Watchword  i  "  The  God  of  Jacob  is  our  refuge," 
PsA.  xlvi.  7. 

God  of  Jacob,  I  bless  Thee  for  my  dreams 
of  Thee.  It  is  in  my  dreams  of  Thee  that 
Thou  art  my  refuge.  Thou  hast  followed 
me  with  inaudible  steps;  Thou  hast  nour- 
ished me  with  intangible  food ;  Thou  hast 
strengthened  me  with  unaccountable  com- 
fort. I  have  soared  without  wings ;  I 
have  climbed  though  shrunk  in  sinew.  The 
man  is  perfected  in  weakness  whose  arms 
are  made  strong  by  the  hand  of  the  mighty 
God   of  Jacob. 

MARCH  14 

Watchword  1  "  This  is  the  gate  of  heaven." 
Gen.  xxviii.  17. 

How  often,  O  God  of  Jacob,  when  the 
way  was  long,  the  night  cold,  and  the  pillow 
stony,  the  dream  has  conquered  all.  Often 
Thou  hast  sent  to  me  a  peace  that  passeth 
understanding.  It  came  where  it  had  no 
right  to  come — on  the  steps  of  poverty, 
down  the  ladder  of  humiliations.  It  came 
when  life  was  low,  when  hope  was  low. 
It  came  without  a  reason — shining  by  its 
own  light,  refusing  explanation,  defying 
scrutiny.  One  moment  I  had  said,  "  How 
dreadful  is  this  place!"  and  the  next  I 
cried,  "  This  is  the  gate  of  heaven !  " 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  43 

MARCH  15 

Watchword  i  "  He  giveth  unto  His  beloved  sleep." 
PsA.  cxxvii.  2. 

Lord,  I  have  read  of  Thee  that  Thou 
givest  Thy  beloved  sleep.  There  are  vari- 
ous ways  in  which  Thou  givest  sleep.  I 
think  one  of  them  is  a  placid  nature.  There 
are  souls  among  us  whose  spirit  does  not 
echo  the  full  force  of  the  outward  waves. 
Thou  hast  set  them  in  a  cleft  of  the  rock 
whilst  Thou  are  passing  by  in  a  storm- 
cloud,  and  though  the  cloud  is  for  them 
they  are  less  hurt  than  the  spectator.  Let 
me  not  forget  Thy  shelter  in  the  rock, 
O  my  God.  Let  me  learn  how  many  ships 
of  sorrow  pass  in  the  night — how  the  seas 
wake  us  not,  the  winds  shake  us  not,  the 
buffetings   break   us    not. 

MARCH  16 

Watchword!   "Thine  eyes  shall  see  the  King  in  His 
beauty."— ISA.  xxxiii.  17. 

My  Father,  I  would  be  as  Thy  Son  Him- 
self— ever  on  the  bosom  of  the  Father  in  a 
sleep  of  self-forgetfulness.  None  can  re- 
veal Thee  but  those  who  lie  on  Thy  bosom, 
who  become  unconscious  of  every  thought 
of  self.  If  I  would  see  the  King  in  His 
beauty,  I  must  lose  sight  even  of  my  high- 
est grace.  Thou  givest  to  Thy  beloved  only 
in  their  sleep. 


44  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

MARCH  17 

Watchword :  "  That  thou  mightest  still  the  , . .  avenger." 
PsA.  viii,  2. 

I  would  not  lose  Thy  fire,  O  Christ  of 
Calvary:  I  would  be  calmed  tlirougli  the 
fire — through  the  very  burning  of  my  love. 
Beautifully  was  it  written  that  the  meekest 
man  started  from  the  burning  bush.  I 
need  great  strength  to  make  me  gentle. 
Any  clod  of  the  valley  can  be  still,  but  only 
the  sight  of  the  mountain  can  make  still. 
The  sea  of  my  life  is  not  calmed  by  dimin- 
ishing the  waters,  but  by  the  print  of  Thy 
footsteps  treading  thereon.  I  shall  reach 
Thy  patience  when  I  have  possessed  my 
soul. 


MARCH  18 

Watchword;  "The  clotid  of  the  Lord  was  over  them," 
Num.  xi.  34. 

Bring  our  hearts  into  sympathy.  O  Son  of 
I\Ian.  by  the  contact  of  a  kindred  experi- 
ence, by  the  touch  of  a  common  cross,  by 
the  pain  of  a  united  martyrdom.  Let  us 
walk  through  the  furnace,  not  one  by  one, 
but  three  by  three,  and  seeing  ever  the  form 
of  the  fourth  in  the  likeness  of  Thyself.  It 
shall  be  worth  while  to  have  met  Thee  in 
the  cloud  if  the  spirit  which  Thou  shalt 
give  me  shall  be  the  spirit  of  humanity. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  45 


MARCH  19 

Watchword:  "Then  David  received  them,  and  made 
them  captains  of  the  band."-i  Chron.  xii.  i8. 
Spirit  of  Christ,  who  of  old  didst  make 
men  soldiers  for  the  times  of  war,  make 
me  now  a  soldier  for  the  times  of  peace. 
Nerve  me  for  the  trials  of  the  market- 
place, more  arduous  than  the  marches  of 
the  fi»ld.  Make  me  strong,  not  with  the 
strength  of  recklessness,  but  with  that 
strength  which  comes  from  an  increased 
burden  of  care.  Inspire  me  with  Thy  sac- 
rificial love,  and  I  shall  be  a  stranger  to 
selfish  fear;  I  shall  have  the  courage  to 
dare  all  things  when  I  am  made  a  captain 

in  Thy  band. 

MARCH  20 

Watchword!  "And  the  Spirit  of  God  moved  upon  the 
face  of  the  waters."— <^en.  i.  2. 
Spirit  Divine,  Thou  alone  canst  make  me 
a  new   creature,   for  Thou   alone   art   able 

to  work  unthln  me.  It  is  not  new  things  I 
want :  it  is  a  new  heart,  a  new  life.  Come, 
brood  over  the  waters  of  my  spirit  until 
they  catch  the  impress  of  Thine  own  image 
and  subside  into  Thine  own  calm.  Thou 
canst  make  all  things  joy  to  me.  Thou 
canst  make  the  world  a  joy,  and  that  none 
besides  Thee  can  do.  Thou  canst  make 
death  a  joy.  Fountain  of  all  life,  let  me 
live  in  Thee. 


46  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

MARCH  21 

Watchword : ''  And  he  lighted  upon  a  certain  place,  and 
tarried  there  all  night,  because  the  sun  was  set."— 
Gen.  xxviii.  n. 

O  God  of  Providence,  never  let  me  talk 
about  the  accidents  of  life,  never  say  that 
any  spot,  however  desert,  that  any  pillow, 
however  stony,  has  come  by  chance.  The 
sleep  which  I  call  weakness  may  be  the 
origin  of  princely  strength  —  prevailing 
power  with  God  and  man.  May  I  tread 
solemnly  the  trifling  paths  of  existence, 
walk  reverently  through  the  days  that  seem 
to  have  no  meaning.  Uncover  my  head  in 
the  presence  of  things  which  the  world  calls 
commonplace,  for  the  steps  of  the  common- 
place may  be  the  ladder  from  earth  to 
heaven. 


MARCH  22 
■Watchword:  "  Blessed  are  the  meek."— Matt.  v.  5. 
Son  of  i\Ian,  teach  me  the  majesty  of 
Thy  meekness.  I  do  not  ask  a  still  nature; 
what  I  want  is  a  stilling  nature.  I  would 
not  have  a  soul  where  there  is  nothing  to 
restrain.  That  is  the  peace  that  the  world 
gives,  the  peace  of  spent  passion,  the  peace 
of  exhausted  energy.  But  not  as  the  world 
givest  Thou.  I  shall  still  my  heart  when 
Thou  hast  made  me  strong. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  47 

MARCH  23 
Watchword:  "Experience  worketli  hope."— Rom.  v.  4. 

And  so,  my  Father,  the  world  is  not  such 
a  bad  place  after  all.  It  looks  gloomier  at 
the  entering  than  at  the  ending  gate.  Re- 
veal to  me  the  romance  of  real  life,  the 
heroism  of  daily  toil,  the  power  of  prosaic 
sacrifice.  Show  me  the  prospect  from  the 
west  gate  of  the  temple — the  gate  near  the 
setting  sun.  I  have  looked  long  enough 
from  the  east — the  delusive  light  of  morn- 
ing. I  have  been  seeking  a  heaven  beyond 
experience,  and  the  chords  of  my  harp  have 
been  broken;  they  shall  be  strung  to  a 
nobler  strain  when  experience  itself  work- 
eth  hope. 

MARCH  24 

Watchword ;  "  He  saith  unto  the  sick  of  the  palsy,  Arise» 
take  np  thy  bed,  and  go  into  thine  house."— Mark 
ii.  II. 

Lord,  I  have  heard  men  say,  "Go  bury 
thy  sorrow."  Yet  methinks  the  peace 
which  Thou  givest  is  deeper  than  that.  It 
is  not  forgetfulness  of  my  cross  that  I 
most  require :  it  is  glorified  remembrance. 
I  want  my  cross  not  to  be  buried,  but  to 
be  lifted,  upraised  into  the  sunlight.  The 
world  can  say,  "Bury  thy  sorrow,"  but 
not,  "Take  up  thy  bed."  Thou  canst 
show  me,  not  merely  the  burial  of  my  cross, 
but  its  resurrection  into  newness  of  life. 


48  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

MARCH  25 

Watchword ;   "  Given  the  earnest  of  the  Spirit  in  our 
hearts."— 2  Cor.  i.  22. 

Son  of  Man,  my  thirst  for  Thee  is  the 
herald  of  Thee.  The  earnest  of  Thy  com- 
ing is  the  shadow  on  my  heart.  The 
shadow  on  my  heart  is  Thy  shadow :  only 
by  the  vision  of  Thee  can  I  learn  my  want 
of  Thee.  It  is  the  light  of  Thy  countenance 
that  has  left  the  surrounding  world  in 
shadow.  It  is  the  vision  of  Thy  moral 
beauty  that  has  emptied  my  heart  of  its 
treasures,  and  made  it  vacant.  Oh !  vacant 
heart,  prophetic  of  an  overflowing  fulness. 
I  will  not  fear  to  enter  the  cloud,  for  I 
know,  thou  divinest  Life,  that  the  cloud 
is  an  earnest  of  Thee. 

MARCH  26 

Watchword :  "  Where  there  is  no  vision  the  people  cast 
off  restraint."— PROv.  xxix.  18  (R.V.). 

I  need  Thy  rainbow,  O  my  Father,  for 
the  workshop,  and  for  the  plough.  It  is 
when  I  dream  of  Thee  that  I  am  most  prac- 
tical, when  I  cease  to  dream  of  Thee  that 
my  task  is  badly  done.  Send  Thy  trans- 
figured glory  into  the  building  of  my  hu- 
man tabernacles.  Let  me  sweep  my  earthly 
room  by  the  light  of  Thy  morning  star ; 
I  have  no  patience  for  man  without  the 
vision   of  Thee. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  49 

MARCH  27 

Watchword ;  "  He  giveth  unto  His  beloved  in  their 
sleep."— PSA.  cxxvii.  2  (Margin  R.V.). 

My  Father,  give  me  the  blessing  of  those 
that  sleep  in  Jesus.  I  do  not  need  to  die 
that  I  may  sleep  in  Him ;  I  have  but  to 
love.  Make  me  unconscious  of  myself  in 
the  great  sleep  of  love.  Take  away  my 
sense  of  merit  by  removing  my  sense  of 
struggle.  Make  the  doing  of  good  by  me 
an  act  of  genius — a  thing  of  spontaneous 
beauty.  Let  me  be  a  child  in  the  kingdom 
of  Thy  Son — happy,  without  counting  its 
happiness;  guileless,  without  seeing  it  is 
pure. 

MARCH  28 

Watchword  i  "  For  the  law  of  the  spirit  of  life  in  Christ 
Jesus  hath  made  me  free  from  the  law  of  sin  and 
death."— Rom.  viii.  2. 

Thou,  O  Spirit,  alone  canst  set  me  free. 
What  I  want  is,  not  fewer  burdens,  but 
more  life,  more  love.  I  want  Thy  law 
which  now  is  outward  to  become  inward — 
the  breath  of  my  nature,  the  necessity  of 
my  being.  I  want  to  find  that  to  be  ab- 
sent from  Thy  service  is  to  be  in  poisoned 
air,  that  to  be  engaged  in  Thy  work  is 
to  play  in  my  native  element.  When  the 
order  of  Thy  life  has  become  my  law  I 
shall  be  free  from  that  other  law  which 
was  made  for  sin  and  death. 


50  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

MARCH  29 

Watchword :  "  Washed  their  robes  and  made  them  white 
in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb."— Rev.  vii.  14. 

Son  of  Man,  the  shedding  of  whose  blood 
ended  in  perfect  peace,  let  the  way  of  Thy 
sacrifice  be  mine.  It  is  not  enough  to  have 
my  sin  crucified — the  red  must  be  washed 
white.  My  cross  can  cleanse  my  soul,  but 
who  shall  cleanse  my  cross?  Thou  canst, 
immortal  Love.  Breathe  on  me,  and  my 
old  law  of  sacrifice  shall  become  my  new 
life  of  joy.  I  shall  wear  my  cross,  Thy 
cross,  like  a  flower.  When  I  began  my 
journey  my  garments  were  dyed  with 
blood;  when  I  reach  the  heights  of  Olivet 
I  shall  walk  in  white  raiment. 

MARCH  30 

Watchword!  "Where  there  is  no   vision  the  people 
perish."— Pkov.  xxix.18. 

My  Father,  open  to  me  the  window  of 
that  great  deep — to-morrow.  Lend  me  a 
ray  of  the  future  to  guide  me  through  the 
present.  I  have  been  told  that  Thou  hast 
given  earth  to  prepare  for  heaven ;  nay, 
Thou  hast  given  heaven  to  prepare  for 
earth.  It  is  the  vision  of  eternity,  that 
must  ripen  me  for  the  passing  hour.  I 
never  move  freely  on  the  lower  plain  till 
I  have  seen  the  higher.  Send  Thy  vision 
of  beauty  into  the  workshop  of  Nazareth. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  51 

MARCH  31 

Watchword ;  "  To  another  the  gifts  of  healing  hy  the 
same  Spirit."— i  Cor,  xii.  g. 

Spirit  of  Christ,  Thou  whose  glory  it  is 
to  give  life  for  the  many,  help  those  whose 
lot  it  is  to  minister  to  the  spirits  in  prison. 
Help  those  whose  call  it  is  to  watch  by 
the  bed  of  sickness,  to  smooth  the  troubled 
pillow,  to  solace  the  couch  of  pain.  Teach 
them  that  the  art  of  ministration  is  the  art 
of  love.  Create  within  them  that  sympathy 
which  makes  sacrifice  itself  not  sacrificial, 
because  it  makes  us  love  our  neighbour  as 
ourselves.  Then  like  Thee  they  shall  bear 
away  the  infirmities  from  others,  because 
like  Thee  they  have  begun  by  taking  the 
infirmities  on  themselves ;  for  their  cross 
shall  be  the  step  to  their  crown  and  their 
power  to  suffer  shall  be  their  strength  to 
heal. 


APRIL  I 

Watchword ;  "  When  He  putteth  forth  His  own  sheep, 
He  goeth  before  them."— John  x.  4. 

Son  of  Man,  ever  let  me  feel  that  Thou 
art  before  me.  Thou  art  always  before  me, 
but  I  have  not  always  felt  it.  I  was  very 
proud  in  my  small  days.  Ere  yet  I  had 
been  enlarged  by  Thee  I  had  no  shrinking 
in  my  nature.  But  when  I  was  put  forth, 
brought  out,  given  a  post  in  advance,  then 
it  was  that  I  felt  humble.  Never  let  me 
lose  that  want  of  Thee  which  is  the  pledge 
that  I  am  nearing  Thee. 

APRIL  2 

Watchword:  "And  Miriam  answered  them,  Sing  ye  to 
the  Lord."— ExoD.  xv.  21. 

She  sang  the  song  of  Moses,  but  it  was 
also  the  song  of  the  Lamb.  Our  Father, 
evermore  give  Miriam  her  song.  Give  her 
song  for  the  nursery,  that  her  children 
may  start  life  with  joy.  Give  her  song 
for  the  fireside,  that  her  husband  may  brush 
his  cares  away.  Give  her  promises  for  the 
penitent,  balm  for  the  broken,  help  for 
the  homeless,  fellowship  for  the  fallen,  love 
for  those  who  have  parted  with  life.  Let 
her  song  rise  for  others  even  when  she 
herself  is  sad.  Then  will  her  music  be 
perfected  by  sacrifice ;  then  will  men  look- 
ing on  her  say,  "  To  her  the  song  of  Moses 
is  the  song  of  the  Lamb." 

52 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  53 

APRIL  3 

Watchword:  "Some  fell  among  thorns;  and  the  thorns 
sprung  np,  and  choked  them."— Matt.  xiii.  7. 

Come  into  my  heart,  thou  Rose  of 
Sharon;  be  the  first  visitor  of  all  my  year. 
Let  my  thorn  fall  upon  Thy  life — not  Thy 
life  upon  my  thorn.  If  Thou  lie  next  my 
heart,  I  can  let  my  thorn  fall  on  Thee.  It 
will  not  break  Thy  fragrance;  it  may  even 
catch  Thy  fragrance;  it  may  become  a  part 
of  Thee.  Come  into  my  heart;  come,  an- 
ticipate the  thorn.  There  is  room  for  my 
thorn  above  Thy  seed;  let  not  Thy  seed 
fall  upon  my  thorn. 

APRIL  4 

Watchword :  "  If  He  gather  nnto  Himself  His  Spirit,  and 
His  breath,  all  flesh  shall  perish  together,  and  man 
shall  turn  again  unto  dust."— Job.  xxxiv.  14,  15. 

O  Thou  Divine  Spirit,  life  would  be  un- 
bearable without  Thee.  The  very  fact  that 
I  am  not  consumed  by  the  world  is  a  proof 
that  Thou  art  in  the  world.  I  have  never 
seen  anything  at  its  worst.  Bad  men  would 
be  infinitely  more  bad  but  for  Thee.  The 
ship  of  life  is  tossing,  but  it  is  anchored. 
I  often  complain  of  the  storm,  and  say, 
"  Verily,  Thou  art  a  God  that  hidest  Thy- 
self." If  Thou  didst  hide  Thyself  even 
for  a  moment,  I  would  know  what  it  is 
to  have  a  storm. 


54  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

APRIL  5 

Watchword :  "  We  know  not  what  we  should  pray  for 
as  we  ought;  but  the  Spirit  itself  maketh  inter- 
cession for  us  with  groanings  which  cannot  be 
uttered." — Rom.  viii.  26. 

O  my  Father,  I  have  moments  of  deep 
unrest — moments  when  I  know  not  what  to 
ask  by  reason  of  the  very  excess  of  my 
wants.  I  have  in  these  hours  no  words 
for  Thee,  no  conscious  prayers  for  Thee. 
Yet  all  the  time  Thou  hast  accepted  my 
unrest  as  a  prayer,  Thou  hast  received 
the  nameless  longings  of  my  heart  as  the 
intercession   of  Thy   Spirit. 

APRIL  6 

Watchword  i  "  Lord,  bid  me  come  unto  Thee  upon  the 
waters,"— ^lATT.  xiv.  28. 

O  Christ,  I  am  only  inspired,  when  I  have 
aspired — sighed  for  something  above  me. 
When  first  I  saw  Thee  I  thought  it  was  a 
light  thing  to  reach  Thee ;  I  said.  "  Bid  me 
that  I  come  to  Thee  upon  the  waters."  But 
now  the  stream  has  become  a  river,  and 
the  river  has  widened  into  a  sea,  and  Thou 
art  far  before.  Teach  me  it  is  a  message 
of  hope,  not  of  despair.  Tell  me  I  am 
never  so  close  to  Thee  as  when  love  throws 
its  seeming  gulf  between.  It  is  the  putting 
forth  of  my  soul  that  sends  Thee  on 
before. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  55 


APRIL  7 


Watcliword:  "  Our  God  is  a  consuming  fire." 
Heb.  xii.  29. 

Come,  Thou  fire  of  heaven,  and  extin- 
guish the  fire  of  hell.  Thy  love  can  burn 
up  all  contrary  loves.  Thou  art  the  only 
fire  by  which  the  bush  of  life  is  not  con- 
sumed. The  lust  of  the  flesh  weakens  me, 
wearies  me.  But  Thy  burning  makes  me 
stronger  day  by  day.  It  consumes  my 
care,  but  it  preserves  me.  It  destroys  my 
selfishness,  but  it  magnifies  myself.  Like 
the  three  men  in  the  fiery  furnace,  I  feel 
that  a  fourth  power  is  added  to  me  when, 

0  Spirit,  I  walk  in  Thee. 

APRIL  8 

Watcliword:  "Likewise  tlie  Spirit  also  helpeth  our 
infirmities."— ROM.  viii.  26. 

Thy  prayers,  O  Spirit,  are  the  unuttered 
voices  of  my  soul.  They  are  not  yet  the 
intercessions  of  my  spirit ;  I  know  not  what 

1  ask.  But  Thou  knowest  what  I  ask,  O 
my  God.  Thou  knowest  that  nothing  but 
the  river  of  Thy  pleasures  can  ever  satisfy 
my  thirsty  soul.  Thou  knowest  that  be- 
cause I  am  made  in  Thine  image  I  can 
find  rest  only  in  what  gives  rest  to  Thee; 
therefore  Thou  hast  counted  my  unrest  unto 
me  for  righteousness  and  hast  called  my 
groaning  Thy  Spirit's  prayer. 


56  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

APRIL  9 

Watchword:  "Thongavest  also  Thy  good  Spirit  to  in- 
struct them,  and  withheldest  not  Thy  manna  from 
their  mouth."— Neh.  ix,  20. 

Inspire  me,  O  God,  with  the  behef  that 
the  issues  of  life  are  not  from  without,  but 
from  within.  Guide  me  into  the  discovery 
that  the  pleasures  at  Thy  right  hand  are 
the  only  things  that  are  "  pleasures  for 
evermore."  He  that  tasteth  the  earthly 
manna  shall  hunger  again,  but  he  that 
hath  received  Thy  bread  of  life  shall  sub- 
sist even  amidst  its  failure.  In  Thy  new 
creation  that  must  be  first  which  is  spirit- 
ual, afterward  that  which  is  natural.  Be- 
fore Thou  sendest  the  manna  give  me  Thy 
good  Spirit. 

APRIL  10 

Watchword :  "  Thou  openest  Thine  hand,  and  satisfiest 
the  desire  of  every  thing."— Psa.  cxlv.  16. 

Come  therefore,  O  my  God,  and  finish 
Thy  divine  creation.  Thou  wilt  not  leave 
me  in  the  sixth  morning  amid  the  beasts 
of  the  field.  Let  me  enter  into  Thy 
seventh  day,  into  Thy  Sabbath  rest.  Thou 
eatisfiest  the  want  of  every  living  thing 
just  because  its  need  gives  it  a  right  to 
live.  Shall  not  my  thirst  for  Thee,  O 
Spirit  of  holiness,  give  me  also  a  right 
to  the  river  of  Thy  pleasures? 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  57 

APRIL  II 

Watchword :  "  Let  not  yonr  heart  be  troubled." 
John  xiv.  i. 

Usher  me  into  the  joy  of  my  Lord,  O 
Spirit  of  the  Cross — the  joy  that  could 
speak  of  its  fulness  at  the  very  foot  of 
Calvary.  Inspire  me  with  the  peace  which 
is  independent  of  circumstances,  which  in 
the  hour  of  death  can  say,  ''  Let  not  your 
heart  be  troubled."  Then,  and  not  till 
then,  shall  the  paradox  become  a  truism; 
then,  and  not  till  then,  shall  I  understand 
the  promise,  "  The  Lord  is  with  you,  while 
ye  be  with  Him." 

APRIL  12 

"Watchword :  "  The  Lord  is  with  yon,  while  ye  be  with 
Him."— 2  Chkon.  xv.  2. 

Spirit  of  Christ,  only  in  Thy  inspira- 
tion can  I  know  that  the  righteous  prosper. 
Seen  in  the  light  of  the  world,  those  that 
are  with  Thee  appear  to  have  the  worst  of 
it.  But  the  light  of  the  world  cannot  re- 
veal the  glories  of  Gethsemane ;  it  cannot 
reveal  the  suppliant  pouring  forth  his  peti- 
tion with  the  voice  of  strong  crying.  It 
can  show  that  the  prayer  is  seemingly  un- 
answered, and  the  passing  of  the  cup  denied ; 
but  it  cannot  disclose  the  peace  that  comes 
with  the  cup ;  it  cannot  detect  the  angel  of 
strength  that  follows  the  surrendered  will. 


58  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

APRIL  13 

Watchword :  "  If  ye  then,  being  evil,  know  how  to  give 
good  gifts  nnto  your  children !  how  mnch  more  shall 
the  heavenly  Father  give  the  Holy  Spirit  unto  them 
that  ask  Him."— Luke  xi.  13. 

Holy  Spirit,  I  thirst  for  Thee  as  in  a 
dry,  parched  land ;  I  pant  for  the  streams 
of  Thy  grace.  It  seems  almost  presumptu- 
ous thus  to  desire  Thee,  but  my  very  thirst 
emboldens  me.  How  could  I  thirst  for 
Thee  if  Thou  wert  not  the  Spirit  of  my 
Father?  How  could  I  desire  Thee  if  there 
were  not  already  in  me  the  same  nature 
as  Thine?  It  is  by  my  need  of  Thee  that 
I  know  my  kinship  with  Thee,  with  my 
Father.  I  ask  for  Thee  because  I  require 
Thee,  and  I  require  Thee  because  I  was 
made  for  Thee. 

APRIL  14 

"Watchword  :  "Peace be  nnto  yon."— John  xx.  21. 

Son  of  Man,  I  shall  only  get  Thy  peace 
by  moving  in  Thy  sphere.  Thy  peace  came 
to  Thee  by  going  where  Thy  Father  sent 
Thee.  Thou  didst  not  get  it  first  and  then 
go  into  Gethsemane ;  it  was  in  Gethsemane 
Thou  didst  find  it.  It  came  to  Thee  by 
doing  the  Father's  will,  came  through  per- 
sistent struggle,  came  by  determination  not 
to  yield.  So  must  it  be  with  me.  The 
cross  first,  then  the  crown. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  59 

APRIL  15 

Watchword ;  "  It  is  expedient  for  you  that  I  go  away." 
John  xvi.  7. 

Help  me  to  understand,  O  Christ,  that 
it  is  expedient  that  Thou  shouldst  go.  Thy 
gifts  are  too  near  me  to  be  seen  by  me. 
Thou  hast  trained  my  love  by  loss ;  Thou 
hast  educated  my  faith  by  shadow.  Thou 
hast  made  me  stretch  out  my  hands  to  clasp 
that  which  was  unfelt  before.  Thou  hast 
hid  Thyself,  that  I  may  learn  to  cry  for 
Thee.  I  basked  at  first  in  Thee  like  an 
unconscious  flower;  Thy  winter  broke  the 
flower  and  made  me  a  man.  I  woke  to 
Thee  by  the  blast  of  my  own  wailing — the 
wailing  for  an  absent  joy.  I  could  not  take 
Thy  blessing  till  it  had  departed  for  a 
while. 

APRIL  16 

"Watchword !  "  Thy  will  he  done."— Matt.  vi.  10. 

Oh !  Thou  who  hast  taught  us  to  seek 
first  Thy  kingdom  and  its  righteousness, 
teach  me  to  say  "  Thy  will  be  done  "  before 
I  say  "  give  me  my  daily  bread."  Teach  me 
to  accept  Thy  will  as  the  foundation  of  my 
happiness  and  other  things  as  only  its  su- 
perstructure. Convince  me  that  it  would 
not  profit  a  man  to  gain  the  whole  world 
and  lose  his  own  soul.  Show  me  that  it  is 
only  the  possession  of  my  soul  that  makes 
the  possession   of  the  world  any  gain. 


6o  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

APRIL  17 

Watchword :  "  As  he  passed  over  Fennel  the  snn  rose 
npon  him,  and  he  halted  npon  his  thigh."— Gen. 
xxxii.  31. 

I  thank  Thee,  O  my  Father,  that  the  halt- 
ing in  my  step  does  not  imply  that  the  sun 
is  not  risen.  Often  have  I  been  distressed 
by  the  survivals  of  my  dead  self.  Yet  I 
am  not  therefore  disloyal  to  Thee.  Two 
lives  are  in  me — the  old  and  the  new.  To- 
day the  halting  and  sunshine  are  side  by 
side.  When  Thy  city  shall  reach  its 
bounds,  I  shall  traverse,  as  well  as  see,  the 
path  of  gold. 


APRIL  18 

Watchword:   "By  His  Spirit  He  has  garnished  the 
heavens."— Job.  xxvi.  13. 

O  Thou  that  tellest  the  number  of  the 
stars,  help  me  to  realise  that  Thou  callest 
them  all  by  Thy  name.  Help  me  to  see 
in  the  unity  of  the  starry  heavens  a  picture 
of  that  higher  unity — our  membership  in 
Thee.  The  glory  of  a  Spirit  is  sacrifice, 
and  it  is  by  telling  of  sacrifice  that  the 
heavens  declare  Thy  glory.  Reveal  to  me 
that,  alike  in  the  firmament  as  on  the  earth, 
the  many  are  made  one  by  giving  the  one  for 
the  many;  so  shall  I  know  that  it  is  Thy 
Spirit  that  has  garnished  the  heavens. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  6i 


APRIL  19 

"Watcliword :  "  Walk  in  the  Spirit,  and  ye  shall  not  fulfil 
the  lust  of  the  flesh."— Gal.  v.  i6. 
Spirit  of  love,  Thou  canst  set  me  free ; 
Thou  canst  quench  the  thirst  of  my  lower 
soul.  I  cannot  keep  my  heart  from  evil 
iDy  merely  ceasing  to  think;  if  the  door 
of  thought  be  unguarded,  the  unclean  spirit 
will  return.  I  want  Thee  to  fill  the  vacancy. 
My  eye  has  been  long  gazing  on  impurity, 
and  it  will  not  be  cured  by  being  sent 
into  darkness ;  lift  upon  it  the  light  of  Thy 
countenance  and  it  shall  be  safe.  My  hand 
has  been  long  raised  in  wrath  against  my 
brother,  and  it  will  not  be  redeemed  by 
being  put  in  chains;  let  it  be  compelled  to 
bear  Thy  cross,  and  it  will  hurt  no  living 
thing. 

APRIL  20 

Watchword:  "  Abide  with  us."-Luke.  xxiv.  2g. 

Come  into  my  heart,  O  eternal  Christ. 
Come  with  the  star  of  the  morning,  ere  the 
heat  and  burden  arise.  Come  with  the  song 
of  the  lark,  ere  the  wheels  of  traffic  are 
heard.  Come  with  the  glow  of  the  east, 
where  the  day  is  yet  far  from  its  setting. 
Come  with  the  promise  of  youth,  where 
the  bow  is  apart  from  the  flood.  And  the 
star  shall  lift  the  burden,  the  song  shall 
help  the  traffic,  the  glow  shall  gild  the  set- 
ting, and  the  bow  assuage  the  flood. 


62  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

APRIL  21 

Watchword :  "  Peace  be  unto  you  ;  as  the  Father  hath 
sent  Me,  even  so  send  I  you."— Matt,  xx,  22. 

Even  so,  O  Christ ;  Thou  wilt  not  send 
me  Thy  peace  until  Thou  hast  sent  myself 
on  the  path  of  sacrifice.  Thy  will  must 
precede  Thy  reward,  I  must  serve  Thee  ere 
I  can  rejoice  in  Thee.  Obedience  first,  then 
liberty;  the  wilderness  first,  then  Nebo; 
the  mission  of  sacrifice  first,  then  the  breath 
of  Thy  free  Spirit.  Thou  shalt  breathe  Thy 
peace  into  my  soul  when  Thou  hast  sent 
me  where  Thy  Father  sent  thee. 

APRIL  22 

Watchword  1  "  Every  one  shall  he  salted  with  fire." 
Mark  ix.  49. 

Preserve  me,  O  Lord,  keep  me  young. 
Thou  hast  an  elixir  that  makes  fair  for 
ever;  its  name  is  Love.  It  makes  fair  by 
strange  methods ;  when  I  have  tasted  it,  I 
shall  be  on  fire.  Teach  me  that  the  only 
persecutor  of  my  youth  is  the  spirit  of 
selfishness.  Teach  me  that  if  I  would  be 
kept  young,  it  must  be  through  the  cares 
of  love.  Redeem  me  from  growing  old  by 
the  blood  of  Thy  cross.  Renew  my  child- 
hood by  an  entrance  into  other  lives.  My 
heart  can  only  be  preserved  by  sacrifice ; 
it  shall  resume  its  youth  in  Thy  everlast- 
ing fire. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  63 

APRIL  23 

Watchword:  "Perhaps  he  therefore  departed  for  a 
season,  that  thou  shonldest  receive  him  for  ever."— 
Phil.  15. 

My  Father,  help  me  to  realise  the  gain  of 
my  losses.  I  speak  of  the  silver  lining  in 
the  cloud ;  teach  me  that  the  cloud  itself 
is  the  silver  lining  of  my  life.  My  life  is 
colourless  until  the  cloud  comes.  It  is  in  the 
moment  of  departure  that  I  recognise  my 
angel.  Men  say  Thou  art  manifested  by 
what  Thou  givest;  I  think  Thou  art  more 
manifested  by  what  Thou  withdrawest.  The 
veil  is  never  so  rent  from  my  heart  as 
in  the  hour  when  Thou  claimest  back 
Thine  own. 

APRIL  24 

Watchword'.  "For  He  whom  Qod  hath  sent  speaketh  the 
words  of  God,  for  G-od  giveth  not  the  Spirit  by 
measure  unto  Him."— John  iii.  34. 

Spirit  of  Christ,  Thou  Star  of  the  East, 
Thou  forerunner  of  our  humanity,  lead  on. 
We  are  aspiring  to  be  free  from  temporary 
creeds  and  systems ;  Thou  who  art  limit- 
less, lead  on.  Lead  on  to  the  fulness  of 
the  time,  the  brotherhood  of  man,  the  con- 
cord of  the  nations.  Lead  us  to  the  bound- 
lessness of  hope,  the  endlessness  of  charity, 
the  unstintedness  of  benevolence.  When 
we  are  broadened  by  Thy  measureless 
Spirit,  we  shall  reach  the  Promised  Land. 


64  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

APRIL  25 

"Watchword :  "  If  any  man  will  come  after  Me,  let  him 
take  up  his  cross,  and  follow  Me."— Matt.  xvi.  24. 

Son  of  Man,  Thine  ever  was  a  carried 
cross.  The  multitude  thronged  Thee  with 
their  trifling  sorrows  when  a  mighty  grief 
was  at  Thine  own  door.  My  puny  cry  was 
overheard  by  Thy  soul  in  its  sorrows,  and 
Thou  earnest  into  my  world,  carrying  Thy 
cross.  Let  me  follow  Thee.  Let  me  carry 
my  cross  into  my  brother's  world.  Help 
me  to  empty  myself  into  that  which  is  to 
me  a  trifle — in  the  power  of  Thy  mighty 
sympathy  I  shall  lift  up  my  cross  and 
come. 

APRIL  26 

"Watchword  i  "  I  do  set  My  bow  in  the  clond." 
Gen.  ix.  13. 

O  my  God,  Thou  art  Thyself  the  good 
that  outweighs  the  evil.  Thou  art  the  bal- 
ance of  all  discord,  the  compensation  of 
all  losses;  Thou  art  the  restraint  of  all 
violence,  the  limit  of  all  vices ;  Thou  art 
the  still  small  voice  of  every  rolling  thun- 
der ;  Thou  art  the  bow  of  promise  in  every 
threatening  cloud.  Without  Thee  we  can 
do  nothing  even  in  our  own  department ; 
only  in  Thy  life  does  our  life  become  en- 
durable. If  Thou  take  away  Thy  breath, 
all  flesh  shall  perish  together. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  65 

APRIL  27 

Watchword  i  "  He  shall  baptize  yon  with  the  Holy  Ghost 
and  with  fire."— Luke  iii.  16. 

Spirit  of  Christ,  baptize  me  into  Thy 
pain.  Teach  my  soul  that  my  Lord's  pain 
is  the  only  road  to  my  Lord's  joy.  Give 
me  the  greatest  of  all  Thy  gifts — the  love 
that  weeps  for  lovelessness.  I  would  feel 
what  He  felt  when  He  beheld  the  city  and 
wept  over  it.  I  would  know  that  I  am  like 
Him  by  having  sympathy  with  His  tears. 
Let  me  too  be  saddened  with  the  sins  and 
sorrows  of  the  crowd.  I  shall  learn  that 
I  am  in  communion  with  Him  when  I  am 
baptized  with  the  pain  of  His  fire. 

APRIL  28 
Watchword !  "  Unto  Thee,  0  Lord,  do  I  lift  np  my  sonl." 

PSA.  XXV.  5. 

Son  of  Man,  lift  up  my  soul.  There  is 
no  need  to  wait  for  death ;  death  lifts  not 
50  high  as  love.  I  know  why  John  lay 
on  Thy  bosom,  because  he  had  the  most 
rapid  wing.  Love  reposes.  It  rests  on 
Thy  bosom,  because  it  is  Thy  bosom — 
because  it  can  dream  of  nothing  beyond. 
The  uplifted  soul  forgets  the  thought  of 
to-morrow  jn  the  rest  of  to-day.  I  shall 
say  "  Nozv  is  the  accepted  time "  when 
Thou  hast  lifted  up  my  soul. 


66  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

APRIL  29 

Watchword!  "After  they  were  come  to  Mysia,  they 
assayed  to  go  into  Bithynia ;  but  the  Spirit  suffered 
them  not."— Acts  xvi.  7. 

And  so,  Thou  Divine  Spirit,  would  I 
still  be  led  by  Thee.  Still  there  come  to 
me  disappointed  prospects  of  usefulness. 
To-day  the  door  seems  to  open  into  life 
and  work  for  Thee ;  to-morrow  it  closes 
before  me,  just  as  I  am  about  to  enter. 
Teach  me  to  see  another  door  in  the  very 
inaction  of  the  hour.  Inspire  me  with  the 
knowledge  that  a  man  may  at  times  be 
called  to  do  his  duty  by  doing  nothing, 
to  work  by  keeping  still,  to  serve  by  waiting. 
When  I  remember  the  power  of  the  still 
small  voice  I  shall  not  murmur  that  some- 
times the  Spirit  suffers  me  not  to  go. 


APRIL  30 

Watchword :  "  Miriam  took  a  timbrel  in  her  hand," 

EXOD.  XV.  20. 

Lord,  we  need  Miriam  in  our  wilderness 
of  time ;  give  us  women  of  song,  women  of 
good  cheer.  Our  homes  woulc  be  dark 
without  our  Miriams.  Many  a  man  >vould 
be  conquered  in  the  march  if  he  wert  not 
refreshed  by  draughts  from  home.  Ever 
increasingly  give  Miriam  song  for  he 
wilderness. 


MAY  I 

Watchword !  "  Restore  unto  me  the  joy  of  Thy  salva- 
tion."—Psa.  H.  12. 

]\Iy  Father,  give  me  back  the  luxuries  of 
Thy  Spirit — its  freedom  and  its  joy.  I 
am  not  content  with  mere  pardon ;  I  am  not 
comforted  with  simple  salvation ;  I  want 
the  joy  of  Thy  salvation.  It  is  not  enough 
that  I  am  reconciled  to  Thee ;  I  must  be 
able  to  be  glad  in  Thee.  Only  in  perfect 
joy  shall  I  find  perfect  freedom. 

MAY  2 

Watchword !  "  Yet  many  years  didst  Thon  forbear  them, 
and  testifiedst  against  them  hy  Thy  Spirit."— Neh. 
ix.  30: 

Spirit  of  Christ,  teach  me  the  prophecy 
of  glory  that  lies  in  my  own  unrest.  When 
I  am  appalled  by  the  impurities  of  m.y  past 
life  tell  me  that  the  eye  which  reads  the 
impurity  has  received  its  light  from  Thee. 
When  I  stand  afar  off  and  beat  upon  my 
breast,  and  say  "  Unclean,  unclean !  "  tell 
me  that  this  is  the  time  in  which  I  go 
down  to  my  house  justified.  Thou  never 
lovest  me  more  than  when  Thou  chidest, 
Thou  never  boldest  me  dearer  than  when 
Thou  chastisest.  When  Thou  testifiest 
against  me,  I  know  that  Thou  art  bear- 
ing with  me. 

67 


68  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

MAY  3 

"Watchword  i  "  As  they  ministered  to  the  Lord,  the  Holy 
Ghost  said,  Separate  me  Barnabas  and  Saul  for  the 
work  whereunto  I  have  called  them."— Acts  xiii.  2. 

O  Thou  Divine  Spirit,  I  thank  Thee  for 
this  revelation.  Dark  hours  have  separated 
me  from  the  circle  of  earthly  life.  Thou 
hast  told  me  that  these  separations  came 
from  Thine  interest  in  the  work  of  hu- 
manity. There  are  souls  that  would  do 
greater  works  if  they  could  only  ascend  un- 
to their  Father  ;  Thou  givest  them  wings  that 
they  may  fly  away.  There  are  lives  that 
could  speak  to  larger  numbers  if  they  had 
powers  of  larger  locomotion  ;  Thou  sendest 
the  chariot  called  death,  and  settest  their  feet 
in  a  large  room.  Thou  art  Thyself  the 
union  of  all  separations ;  the  chariot  cannot 
long  divide  us  if  its  goal  is  towards  Thee. 

MAY  4 

Watchword !  "  Uphold  me  with  Thy  free  Spirit."-PSA. 
li.  12. 

My  Father,  only  in  Thee  shall  I  find 
perfect  freedom.  I  would  not  like  to  be 
always  in  tremor  lest  by  any  word  I 
should  ofifend  Thee ;  prayer  would  die  on 
the  threshold  of  my  heart,  if  it  were  not 
winged  by  fearlessness.  I  shall  never  lose 
my  fear  until  1  have  felt  myself  akin  to 
Thee,  and  I  shall  never  feci  that  kinship 
until  Thy  free   Spirit  has  come. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  69 

MAY  5 

Watchword  i  "  Whither  shall  I  flee  from  Thy  presence  ?  " 
PSA.  xxxix.  7. 

Why  should  I  strive  to  flee  from  Thy 
presence,  O  Divine  Spirit  ?  Thou  claimest 
all  my  duties  as  worship.  I  speak  of  my 
aspirations ;  Thou  callest  them  prayers. 
I  speak  of  my  hopes ;  Thou  callest  them 
acts  of  faith.  Help  me  to  consecrate  the 
daily  life.  Help  me  to  write  Thy  name 
on  the  commonplace.  Help  me  to  taste  the 
bread  of  Thy  communion  in  every  act  of 
kindness  given  or  received,  to  reverence  as 
Thy  cup  every  cup  of  earthly  water.  1 
shall  serve  Thee  day  and  night  in  Thy 
temple  when  I  can  say,  ''  Whither  shall  I 
flee  from  Thy  presence  ?  " 

MAY  6 

Watchword :  "  I  will  go  before  you  into  Galilee." 
Mark  xiv.  28. 

Jesus,  Thou  art  always  on  before  me, 
nowhere  so  far  in  advance  as  in  Galilee.  I 
have  never  come  near  to  Thee  in  Galilee — 
the  land  of  human  sorrows,  the  region  of 
the  shadow  of  death.  I  had  thought  that 
religion  wanted  only  a  soul :  Thou  hast 
claimed  the  redemption  of  the  body;  Thou 
hast  burst  all  boundaries  but  those  of  sor- 
row ;  Thou  hast  invited  man  to  come  to 
Thee  without  a  plea,  nay,  with  the  very 
plea  of  destitution. 


70  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

MAY  7 

Watchword !  "  Whither  shall  I  go  from  Thy  Spirit  ?  " 
PSA.  cxxxix.  7. 

Oh  !  glorious  imprisonment.  Oh  !  divine 
wall  of  enclosure.  I  am  shut  in  by  Thee. 
Thou  hast  filled  with  Thy  glory  the  things 
which  once  were  outside  of  Thee — the  harp 
and  the  organ,  the  brass  and  the  iron,  the 
tents  of  daily  life.  The  seer  of  Patmos  said 
of  Thy  regenerated  world,  "  I  beheld  no 
temple  therein."  No  wonder.  When  Thy 
presence  shall  be  seen  in  every  place,  there 
shall  be  no  special  place  sacred  to  Thee. 
And  indeed,  whether  we  see  it  or  not,  Thou 
art   already  everywhere. 

MAY  8 

Watchword  i  "  He  goeth  before  you  into  Galilee." 
Mark  xvi.  7. 

O  Son  of  Man,  Thou  hast  ever  been  be- 
fore us.  Thou  has  outrun  our  philan- 
thropy ;  Thou  hast  anticipated  our  benevo- 
lence ;  Thou  hast  planned  our  orphanages ; 
Thou  hast  devised  our  houses  of  refuge; 
Thou  hast  asserted  the  sacredness  of  infant 
life  ;  Thou  hast  given  a  hand  to  the  climbing 
steps  of  woman ;  Thou  hast  outstripped 
both  Peter  and  John  in  the  race  to  the 
ancient  sepulchres  of  humanity ;  at  the 
end  of  all  our  progress  we  have  met  Thee 
in  Galilee. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  71 


MAY  9 

■Watchword!  "Take  heed  that  ye  despise  not  one  of 
these  little  ones."— ^Iatt  xviii.  lo. 
Christ  of  love,  give  me  room  in  my  heart 
for  earth's  little  ones.  I  have  room  for 
the  heights  but  not  the  vales  of  humanity; 
let  me  descend  with  Thee  into  the  vale. 
Let  me  not  vaunt  my  powers  of  flight 
before  the  face  of  my  walking  brother; 
his  walk  is,  like  Enoch's,  a  walk  with 
Thee.  Let  me  travel  by  his  side  along  the 
dusty  way.  When  I  stand  on  the  mount 
of  Thy  love,  the  height  shall  dissolve  the 
difference  between  the  great  and  the  little 

ones. 

MAY  10 

Watchword:  "  In  the  night  His  song  shall  he  with  me 
and  my  prayer  nnto  the  God  of  my  life-"— Psa. 
xlii.  8. 

Father,  sing  in  my  heart,  that  I  may  pray. 
I  cannot  pray  till  I  have  heard  Thy  song. 
Sing  in  my  heart  a  song  of  hope.  There 
are  moments  in  which  Thou  speakest  only 
in  song — songs  without  words.  Such  a 
moment  I  ask  for  my  prayer.  I  do  not 
ask  a  revelation;  I  do  not  ask  a  lifting 
of  the  night;  I  only  ask  the  lightening  of 
the  heart  which  refuses  to  be  defined. 
Music  proves  nothing;  but  it  helps  me  to 
prove  all  things.  Give  me  Thy  music, 
therefore,  O  my  Father. 


72  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

MAY  II 

Watchword:  "Hitherto  have  ye  asked  nothing  in  My 
name ;  ask,  and  ye  shall  receive."— John  xiv.  24. 

Name  above  every  name,  purify  my  de- 
sires. It  is  by  my  desires  that  Thou  meas- 
urest  my  progress ;  teach  me  to  pray.  It 
is  not  new  desires  I  want;  it  is  a  new 
name  in  which  to  bank  the  old  treasures, 
Thy  name  instead  of  mine.  It  is  not  less 
of  gold  I  would  seek  now ;  it  is  less  of 
self.  I  feel  as  if  I  wanted  the  wealth  of 
this  world  more  than  I  ever  did!  but  now 
I  need  it  for  Thee.  It  is  not  a  change  of 
money ;  it  is  a  change  of  investment.  I  put 
it  in  Thy  name;  I  bank  it  for  Thee. 


MAY  12 
Watchword ;  "  Perfect  and  entire,  wanting  nothing." 

JAS.  i.  4. 

Son  of  Man,  I  do  not  fear  to  be  made 
perfect  in  Thee ;  I  do  not  fear  that  when  I 
have  gained  my  promised  land  I  shall  weep 
for  my  lost  wants.  The  more  I  possess 
Thee,  the  more  I  desire  Thee.  It  is  the 
possession  of  Thee  that  makes  me  hungry ; 
it  is  the  sight  of  Thee  that  makes  me 
athirst.  It  is  from  the  supply  of  my  want 
that  my  desire  comes.  I  shall  seek  Thee 
with  a  perfect  will  when  I  shall  want  no 
more. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  73 

MAY  13 

Watchword  i  "  Seeing  ye  have  put  off  the  old  man  with 
his  doings,  and  have  pnt  on  the  new  man,  which  is 
heing  renewed  .  .  .  after  the  image  of  Him  that 
created  Him."— Col.  iii.  g,  lo. 

Impute  to  me,  O  God,  the  inner  Christ, 
the  better  self.  Judge  me  by  the  Man 
whom  Thou  hast  ordained.  Judge  me  by 
the  eager  wish  whose  flight  the  flesh  can- 
not follow,'  by  the  strong  will  whose  stroke 
the  hand  cannot  second.  Judge  me  by  the 
pain  that  succeeds  to  failure,  the  wound 
that  comes  from  sinning,  the  remorse  that 
waits  on  doing  wrong.  Judge  me,  not  by 
the  breaking  of  the  mirror,  but  by  the 
sight  of  the  face  I  have  seen  in  breaking  it ; 
for  the  face  is  the  Higher  Man — the  Man 
Christ  Jesus. 

MAY  14 

Watchword  i  "  I  will  sing  a  new  song  nnto  Thee,  0  God." 
PSa.  cxiiv.  g. 

Give  me,  O  my  Father,  the  indescribable 
joy  of  Jesus — the  joy  that  could  subsist 
through  sorrow.  There  was  music  in  His 
heart  when  there  was  no  light  in  his  eye. 
Give  me  but  the  heart's  music  in  the  night, 
though  the  night  itself  be  silent.  Thou  hast 
required  the  prayer  of  faith ;  and  what  is 
faith  but  song — a  song  in  the  night.  Thou 
hast  required  the  prayer  of  faith,  because 
faith  is  joy — and  joy  alone  can  pray. 


74  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

MAY  15 

Watchword :  "  Teach  me  to  do  Thy  will :  for  Thon  art 
my  God ;  Thy  Spirit  is  good ;  lead  me  into  the  land 
of  nprightnesSi" — Psa.  cxliii.  10. 

Teach  me,  my  Father,  that  Thy  will  is 
love ;  teach  me  that  Thy  love  is  wise. 
Guide  me  not  blindfold,  but  with  open  eyes. 
Grant  me  the  power  to  look  both  behind 
and  before — behind  to  Thy  "  good  Spirit," 
before,  to  the  "  land  of  uprightness."  Give 
me  the  blessedness  of  the  man  whose  de- 
light is  in  Thy  law,  who  can  tell  of  Thy 
statutes  rejoicing  the  heart.  I  shall  obey 
Thy  will  in  perfect  freedom  when  I  can 
say  "  Thy  Spirit  is  good." 

MAY  16 

Watchword :  "  The  Lord  alone  did  lead  him." 
Deut.  xxxii.  12 

Oh !  Divine  servitude.  Oh !  slavery  that 
makes  me  free.  Shut  me  in,  O  God,  against 
myself — against  my  own  bitterness,  against 
the  heat  of  my  spirit.  Protect  me  from  the 
impetuous  desires  of  my  nature — desires 
that  are  as  short-lived  as  they  are  impetu- 
ous. Ask  me  not  where  I  would  like  to 
go ;  tell  me  where  to  go,  lead  me  in  Thine 
own  way.  I  may  go  in  the  bitterness  of  my 
soul.  I  may  journey  in  the  heat  of  my  spirit, 
but  I  shall  reach  the  paths  of  pleasantness 
if  the   hand   of  my   God  be   upon  me. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  75 

MAY  17 

Watchword  ;  "  To  him  the  porter  openeth."— John  x.  3. 

I  thank  Thee,  O  my  Father,  that  the 
doors  of  my  Hfe  are  not  left  to  be  opened 
by  me.  I  thank  Thee  that  behind  the  right 
door  the  porter  ever  stands.  Thou  hast  set 
before  me,  not  a  door  to  be  opened,  but 
"  an  open  door."  When  I  come  up  I  shall 
find  it  already  ajar,  and  I  shall  enter 
easily  in.  It  is  the  distance  that  appals 
me.  My  door  seems  a  closed  one  till  I 
reach  it.  I  shall  know  the  true  door  by  one 
direction;  it  is  the  door  that  is  already 
open. 

MAY  18 

Watchword  i  "  There  was  the  hiding  of  His  power," 
Hab.  iii.  4. 

I  am  glad,  O  my  Father,  that  Thou  hast 
not  wholly  revealed  Thyself.  Men  praise 
Thee  for  Thy  many  voices ;  they  ought 
to  praise  Thee  for  Thy  silence  too.  Thy 
silence  is  my  music :  Thy  shadow  is  my 
revealing.  When  I  see  not  Thy  hand  of 
retribution,  I  awake  to  the  majesty  of  un- 
aided virtue.  When  I  read  not  Thy  writ- 
ing on  the  wall,  I  consult  the  tables  of  my 
own  book  of  life.  The  ceasing  of  the 
thunders  of  Sinai  has  left  room  for  the 
sighing  of  my  love ;  I  am  glad  that  Thou 
hast  hid  the  fulness  of  Thy  power. 


76  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

MAY  19 

Watchword ;  "  I  will  pour  out  my  Spirit,  I  will  make 
known  My  words  unto  you." — Prov.  i.  23. 

Thou  divine  Spirit,  illumine  to  me  the 
words  of  the  Lord.  Show  me  the  wealth 
of  glor}'  that  lies  beneath  the  old  familiar 
stories.  Teach  me  the  depths  of  meaning 
hidden  in  the  songs  of  Zion.  Raise  me  to 
the  height  of  aspiration  that  is  compassed 
by  the  wings  of  the  prophet.  Lift  me  to 
the  summit  of  faith  that  is  trod  by  the  feet 
of  the  apostle.  Open  Thou  mine  eyes,  that 
I  may  behold  wondrous  things  out  of 
Thy   law. 


MAY  20 

Watchword  i   "  So  the  Spirit  lifted  me  up  and  took  me 
away."— EzEK.  iii.  14. 

Spirit  of  Christ,  I  thank  Thee  that  Thy 
love  constraineth  me.  I  thank  Thee  that  in 
the  great  labyrinth  of  life,  Thou  waitest 
not  for  my  consent  to  lead  me.  I  thank 
Thee  that  Thou  leadest  me  by  a  way  which 
is  above  the  level  of  my  poor  understand- 
ing. There  is  no  force  in  the  universe  so 
glorious  as  the  force  of  Thy  love ;  it  com- 
pels me  to  come  in.  It  binds  me  with 
golden  fetters.  Oh !  love  that  imprisons  me 
onl}''  to  set  my  feet  in  a  larger  room,  en- 
close me  more  and  more  within  Thy  folds. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  77 

MAY  21 

Watchword :  "  There  wrestled  a  man  with  him  until  the 
breaking  of  the  day."— Gen.  xxxii.  24. 
W\  Father,  behold  me  in  Thy  Son.  Let 
the  Divine  man  wrestle  for  me  in  Thy 
heart.  See  in  him  m.y  shield;  look  on  the 
face  of  Thy  Anointed.  When  Thy  heart 
is  grieved  for  me,  turn  to  the  Man  on 
Thy  right  hand.  He  is  my  true  self— Thine 
ideal  of  myself.  He  is  the  likeness  of  what 
I  shall  be  at  daybreak;  keep  Thine  eye 
on  the  daybreak,  O  my  God. 

MAY  22 

Watchword  !  "The  Lord  answered  Job  out  of  the  whirl- 
wind."—Job  xxxviii.  I. 

Thou  hast  answered  me  also,  O  Lord,  out 
of  the  whirlwind.  I  had  been  looking  to 
the  calm  places  for  Thy  answer.  I  had  lis- 
tened upon  my  bed  when  the  pulse  of  life 
beat  low.  From  none  of  these  did  my 
answer  come.  Then  the  whirlwind  swept 
by,  and  I  said,  "  There  will  be  Divine  si- 
lence now ;  I  cannot  hope  for  Thy  voice  any 
more."  And  behold  it  was  from  Thy  whirl- 
wind that  Thy  voice  came.  What  earth's 
silence  could  not  give  was  given  by  the 
storm.  Let  me  never  again  fear  the  shut 
gate  nor  dread  the  interrupted  journey. 
Reveal  to  me  there  may  be  progress  through 
life's  pauses,  music  in  life's  maladies,  beauty 
in  life's  burdens,  work  in  life's  wilderness. 


78  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

MAY  23 

Watchword:  "  He  saw  the  Spirit  of  God  descending  like 
a  dove."— Matt.  iii.  16. 

Come  unto  me,  Thou  Dove  of  the  Firma- 
ment. Wait  not  till  I  seek  Thee  amid 
the  troubles  of  the  wilderness.  Descend 
upon  me  at  the  dawn.  Light  upon  me  when 
the  heavens  are  opened  and  the  waters  of 
youth  are  sparkling.  Spread  Thy  wings 
over  me  before  I  go  out  into  the  tempta- 
tion. Bring  Thy  message  of  peace,  and 
I  shall  be  strengthened  for  every  war.  I 
shall  find  myself  when  I  am  found  by 
Thee. 

MAY  24 

Watchword ;  "  Not  by  might  nor  hy  power,  bnt  hy  My 
Spirit,  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts."— Zech.  iv.  6. 

O  Son  of  Man,  let  my  lower  nature  be 
conquered  by  Thy  Spirit.  I  would  not  have 
it  conquered  by  the  terrors  of  the  law ; 
these  would  bind  my  hands,  but  leave  my 
heart  at  war.  But  I  would  have  it  con- 
quered by  Thee — a  larger,  purer  love ;  I 
do  not  want  to  be  converted  by  mutilation 
but  by  expansion.  Nothing  but  a  higher 
love  will  subdue  my  lower  love — subdue 
it  without  killing  it.  Thou  alone  canst 
subdue  my  will,  and  yet  sustain  its  resolute- 
ness :  not  by  might  nor  by  power,  but  by 
Thy  Spirit,  O  Lord. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  79 

MAY  25 

Watchword ;  "  And,  lo,  the  heavens  were  opened  unto 
him,  and  he  saw  the  Spirit  of  G-od  descending  like  a 
dove,  and  lighting  upon  Him."  —Matt.  iii.  i6. 

Spirit  divine,  we  are  glad  that  Thou  hast 
found  rest.  Long  hast  Thou  waited  to  find 
it  on  the  bosom  of  Thy  creation.  But  now, 
at  last.  Thou  hast  found  a  home.  There 
has  come  a  pure  soul  worthy  of  Thy  habi- 
tation, and  Thou  hast  entered  in.  Well 
mayest  Thou  come  in  the  form  of  a  dove, 
for  Thou  hast  found  the  olive-branch  of 
peace :  the  Son  of  Man  hath  given  Thee 
rest. 

MAY  26 

Watchword ;  "  And  God  opened  her  eyes,  and  she  saw  a 
well  of  water,"— Gen,  xxi.  ig. 

I  bless  Thee,  O  Lord,  that  Thou  hast  a 
place  for  the  outcast — for  the  man  who  has 
gone  over  the  line.  I  thank  Thee  that  he 
who  Cometh  unto  Thee  is  in  no  wise  cast 
out,  even  though  he  comes  by  an  unwonted 
way.  I  praise  Thee  that  Thou  hast  a  rev- 
elation for  the  Hagars  of  the  world — for 
those  whom  many  have  deemed  in  Egy^ptian 
darkness.  Enable  me  to  realise  that  even 
in  their  desert  there  are  springs.  I  often 
speak  of  the  wells  of  Baca — the  wells  for 
Thy  covenated  people ;  but  I  forget  the 
wells  of  Beersheba  which  are  prepared  for 
the  men  of  the  wilderness. 


8o  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

MAY  27 

Watchword :  "  Open  Thou  mine  eyes,  that  I  may  hehold 
wondrous  things  out  of  Thy  law."— Psa.  cix.  18. 

Thy  wonders,  O  my  God,  are  in  Thy  law 
already :  they  do  not  need  to  be  put  there. 
But  until  Thou  comest  my  eyes  are  in  want 
of  a  lens  by  which  to  see  them.  They  are 
like  the  well  of  water  which  Hagar  did 
not  behold,  like  the  cake  prepared  on  the 
fire  which  Elijah  did  not  recognise.  We 
need  angels  to  tell  us  these  things,  though 
they  lie  on  our  daily  path.  Shine  in  our 
hearts,  Thou  better  Sun,  and  glorify  the 
m.essage.  Light  up  the  old  texts,  irradiate 
the  time-worn  phrases,  unlock  the  hidden 
doors.  I  shall  find  the  treasures  in  my 
earthen  vessels  when  Thou  has  made 
known  the  words  of  the  Lord. 

MAY  28 

Watchword:  "If  I  with  the  finger  of  God  cast  out 
devils,  then  is  the  kingdom  of  G-od  come  upon  you."— 
Luke  xi.  20. 

Sin  is  a  spirit,  and  spirit  can  only  be 
conquered  by  spirit.  The  expulsion  of 
Satan  from  my  heart  is  worthless,  if  he  be 
not  expelled  by  Thee,  O  my  God.  Come 
into  m.y  heart,  Thou  love  unspeakable,  and 
put  Thy  chains  about  him,  and  lead  him 
captive  at  Thy  will :  if  Thy  Spirit  shall 
cast  him  out.  I  shall  know  that  Thy  king- 
dom has  come. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  8i 

MAY  29 

Watchword:  "And  he  said,  Let  me  go,  for  the  day 
breaketh,"— Gen.  xxxii.  26. 

Leave  me  not,  O  my  Father,  when  the 
lomance  of  life  leaves  me.  Leave  me  not 
when  the  solemn  stars  have  faded  into  the 
light  of  the  common  day.  Leave  me  not 
when  the  gate  of  the  temple  called  Beautiful 
has  closed,  and, I  stand  with  lame  feet  upon 
the  dusty  way.  Thou  hast  followed  me  into 
the  silence,  and  I  shall  follow  Thee  into 
the  crowd:  I  will  not  part  with  Thee  at 
the  breaking  of  the  day. 

MAY  20 

Watchword:  "God  hath  showed  me  that  I  should  not 
call  any  man  common  or  nnclean."— Acts  x.  28. 

It  is  for  moments  most  unlike  Thee  that 
I  most  need  Thee,  O  my  God.  It  is  easy 
to  feel  Thy  presence  in  the  void.  But  to 
feel  Thee  when  there  is  no  void,  to  per- 
ceive Thee  in  the  heart  of  other  things, 
to  behold  Thee  among  the  forms  which 
men  call  common  and  unclean — this  is  in- 
deed to  be  religious.  It  is  easy  to  know 
Thy  face  when  I  see  nothing  between  me 
and  the  stars.  But  when  I  see  let  down 
from  heaven  a  sheet  filled  with  prosaic  fare, 
it  is  hard  vo  believe  that  it  comes  from 
Thee.  It  is  then  that  I  need  Thee,  O  my 
Father. 


82  DAY  UNTO  DAY 


MAY  31 

Watchword !  "  The  rulers  ceased  in  Israel,  they  ceased 
until  that  I  Deborah  arose,  that  I  arose  a  mother  in 
Israel."— JUDG.  v.  7. 

Lord,  we  still  need  Deborah,  for  the 
Canaanite  is  still  in  the  land.  Many  daugh- 
ters there  be  whom  Thou  hast  endowed 
with  the  spirit  of  meekness,  and  we  bless 
Thee  for  these.  But  there  are  daughters 
whom  Thou  hast  endowed  with  the  spirit 
of  indignation.  Shall  we  not  bless  Thee 
for  these  also,  O  our  Father!  We  thank 
Thee  that  Thou  hast  so  often  startled  us 
by  Deborah's  cry.  We  have  heard  it  at 
dawn  when  the  child  told  its  first  untruth. 
We  have  heard  it  at  forenoon  when  the 
youth  caught  the  fever  of  his  first  gaming- 
table. We  have  heard  it  at  mid-day  when 
to  drown  his  commonplace  cares  the  man 
drew  an  extra  draught  of  the  invidious  cup. 
The  alarms  of  Deborah  are  on  every  step 
of  the  stair.  Disrobe  her  not  of  her  drastic 
mission.  Place  her  beside  life's  danger  sig- 
nals, that  in  stern  accents  she  may  transmit 
the  message  to  us  all. 


JUNE  I 

Watchword :  "  That  ye  may  be  found  of  Him  in  peace." 
2  Pet.  iii.  14. 

Son  of  Man,  I  would  like  to  be  one  of 
Thy  men  of  genius — one  of  those  who  are 
found  by  Thee.  I  would  like  Thy  life  to 
be  my  starting-point  rather  than  my  goal. 
I  would  have  Thy  rest  before  I  start.  It  is 
by  Thy  rest  I  would  travel.  If  I  come 
first  to  seek  Thee,  I  shall  be  weary  when  I 
find  Thee;  however  short  the  way,  it  is 
too  long  without  Thee.  There  is  no  power 
of  motion  like  the  repose  in  Thee.  The 
brooding  of  Thy  Spirit  is  a  rushing  mighty 
wind ;  it  will  carry  me  beyond  myself — 
into  the  life  of  my  brother. 

JUNE  2 

Watchword :  "(And  immediately  the  Spirit  driveth  Him 
into  the  wilderness."— >Mark  i.  12. 

Shine  on  me.  O  my  God,  to  make  me  fit 
for  life's  desert  places.  Lift  me  up,  that  I 
may  have  strength  to  go  further  down ;  illu- 
minate me,  that  Thou  mayest  send  me  into 
the  night ;  make  me  a  help  to  the  helpless. 
Not  at  all  times  am  I  worthy  of  the  wilder- 
ness ;  I  am  only  worthy  after  the  splen- 
dours of  Jordan.  Nothing  but  the  Son's 
vision  can  fit  me  for  the  Spirit's  burden ; 
only  the  glory  of  the  baptism  can  support 
the  hunger  of  the  desert. 

83 


84  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

JUNE  3 

Watchword  i  "  Enter  ye  in  at  the  strait  gate." 
Matt.  viii.  13. 

Reveal  to  me,  O  Son  of  Man,  that  the 
strait  gate  and  the  narrow  way  must  needs 
be  the  path  to  glory.  I  used  to  think  my 
sacrifices  were  sent  to  prepare  me  for 
heaven  by  contrast;  tell  me  it  is  not  so. 
Let  me  see  that  the  gate  of  heaven  is  sac- 
rifice, because  heaven  itself  is  sacrifice. 
Show  me  the  symmetry  between  Thy  cross 
and  Thy  crown.  Let  me  learn  that  the 
divineness  of  love  means  the  divineness  of 
pain.  Let  me  learn  that  eternal  life  is  the 
power  of  perpetually  dying. 

JUNE  4 

Watchword!  "For  he  established  a  testimony  in  Jacob." 
PSA.  Ixxviii.  5. 

Son  of  Man,  teach  me  what  it  is  to  be 
made  for  Thee.  I  have  begun  life  with  the 
vision  of  Jacob's  dream,  but  without  the 
vision  of  Jacob's  couch ;  I  have  seen  the 
shining  but  not  the  shade.  Reveal  to  me 
that  what  I  call  the  shade  Thou  callest 
the  shining.  Reveal  to  me  that  the  night 
in  my  hemisphere  is  the  day  in  Thine.  Let 
me  learn  that  the  flowers  of  Paradise  are 
the  blossoms  of  early  tears — the  daybreak 
vision  of  what  was  sown  by  night.  So 
shall  I  hear  the  testimony  of  Jacob. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  85 

JUNE  5 

"Watchword :  "  My  cup  indeed  ye  shall  drink," 
Matt.  xx.  23. 

Son  of  Man,  it  is  Thy  voice  on  the  Cross 
that  brings  me  good  cheer.  Thou  hast 
other  voices  of  triumph,  but  they  have  no 
bearing  on  me.  I  cannot  beat  down  my 
calamities ;  Thy  resurrection  is  beyond  me ; 
Thy  ascension  surpasses  me.  But  I  can 
take  Thy  cup,  for  it  is  my  own  cup.  It 
is  a  cup  without  mystery  and  without  mira- 
cle— made  up  of  my  own  sorrows.  And 
when  I  see  it  in  Thy  hand,  and  hear  Thee 
say,  "  I  have  tasted  it  unharmed,"  my  heart 
grows   light   within   me. 

JUNE  6 

Watchword !  "  The  same  came  to  Jesns  hy  night." 
John  iii.  2. 

I  thank  Thee,  O  Christ,  Thou  hast  ad- 
mitted into  Thy  kingdom  such  a  man.  He 
never  met  Thee  on  the  Mount,  but  he  was 
privileged  to  meet  Thee  in  the  vale ;  he 
took  up  Thy  crucified  body.  Such  is  ever 
Thy  work  for  those  who  come  by  night. 
Thou  leadest  them  by  the  paths  of  the  hu- 
man;  Thou  makest  them  the  ministers  to 
man.  Those  who  wrestle  for  daybreak  are 
afraid  to  take  a  name ;  they  would  bless  and 
pass  by.  But  Thou  givest  them  the  name 
they  have  not  assumed;  Thou  callest  them 
after  Thyself. 


86  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

JUNE  7 

Watchword!  "And  it  was  revealed  unto  him  by  the 
Holy  Ghost,  that  he  should  not  see  death  before  he 
had  seen  the  Lord's  Christ."— Luke  ii.  26. 

Spirit  Divine,  reveal  this  light  unto  me. 
I  do  not  ask  a  cure  from  without ;  I  ask  a 
remedy  from  within.  I  seek  not  to  build 
my  tabernacle  on  a  mount  of  dazzling  light 
while  the  multitude  toil  and  fret  in  the 
valley  below ;  I  only  desire  the  strength  to 
work  without  sense  of  toil,  and  to  serve 
much  without  being  cumbered  by  the 
service.  Reveal  to  me  my  own  possibili- 
ties of  doing  and  bearing.  Help  me  to  meet 
to-day  the  things  that  I  feared  yesterday. 
I  shall  not  fear  to  see  the  inevitable  valley 
of  death,  if  first  I  shall  behold  my  immor- 
tality in  the  face  of  the  Lord's  Christ. 

JUNE  8 

Watchword:  "And  he  said,  Let  me  go,  for  the  day 
breaketh." — Gen.  xxxii.  26. 

My  Father,  help  me  to  retain  my  night 
angel.  May  I  refuse  to  let  him  go  till 
he  has  blessed  me  for  the  day.  Teach  me 
that  the  struggles  of  my  angel,  though  they 
come  by  night,  are  not  meant  for  night. 
Why  should  he  leave  me  with  the  light 
of  the  morning?  Is  there  more  of  earth  in 
the  morning  than  in  the  night  ?  Then  I  need 
him  more,  I  need  Thee  more,  O  my  Father. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  87 

JUNE  9 

Watchword  i  "  The  life  was  the  light  of  men." 
John  i.  4. 

Teach  me,  O  God,  the  method  of  Jesus's 
life.  He  came  to  the  Crown  when  He  was 
following  the  Cross ;  He  found  the  gate 
of  heaven  when  He  was  seeking  the  door 
of  earth.  Teach  me  that  I  forget  the  gate 
in  the  going,  that  I  turn  mine  eyes  to  the 
day,  mine  ears  to  the  cry  in  the  desert, 
mine  hands  to  the  labour  of  the  toiling, 
mine  heart  to  the  wants  of  the  weary.  And 
\o\  in  the  unexpected  scene  the  ivory  gate 
shall  shine,  the  door  to  God  shall  open 
through  the  dust,  and  where  the  rivers  of 
humanity  meet  shall  be  found  the  way  to 
Paradise.  Teach  me  that  to  live  the  life 
of  Jesus  is  my  only  light. 

JUNE  10 
"Watchword!  "A  Lamb  as  it  had  been  slain."— Rev.  v.  6. 

Reveal  thy  Christ,  O  God !  Reveal  the 
Divinity  of  sacrifice.  Reveal  that  the  Lamb 
was  slain  from  the  foundation.  Reveal  that 
Eden,  not  Gethsemane,  was  the  world's 
garden.  Reveal  that  the  red  and  not  the 
white  blossom  was  the  goal  in  Thy  heart 
which  made  the  dawn  in  my  life.  The  veil 
of  my  temple  is  not  sorrow,  but  its  seeming 
accidentalness ;  rend  thou  my  temple  veil. 
I  shall  have  a  front  view  of  the  universe 
when  I  see  the  Lamb  on  the  Throne. 


88  DAY  UNTO  DAY 


JUNE  II 

Watchword  i  "  0  Lord,  our  Lord,  how  excellent  is  Thy 
name  in  all  the  earth,"— Psa.  viii.  i. 

Let  me  too  learn,  O  Lord,  that  Thou  art 
the  one  "excellent  Name  in  all  the  earth." 
Men  call  their  excellent  things  by  other 
names :  hasten  the  time  when  "  in  the  flesh 
the}^  shall  see  God,"  see  Him  in  the  forms 
of  earth,  in  the  duties  of  the  hour,  in  the 
paths  of  life,  in  the  progress  of  the  day. 
Make  thyself  known  to  them  in  the  break- 
ing of  the  earthly  bread;  in  the  planting  of 
the  earthly  flower  let  them  gaze  on  Thee. 

JUNE  12 

Watchword  i  "  And  they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy 
G-host,  and  began  to  speak  with  other  tongues,  as  the 
Spirit  gave  them  utterance."— Acts  ii.  4. 

Spirit  Divine,  outpour  Thy  Pentecost 
upon  me.  Send  forth  that  fire  of  sym- 
pathy which  shall  burn  up  all  that  is  nar- 
row and  mean  and  selfish  within  this  soul 
of  mine,  and  shall  give  me  the  right  and 
the  power  to  enter  into  the  soul  of  my 
brother.  I  am  imprisoned  within  myself 
till  Thou  comest;  I  can  speak  only  one 
language,  the  language  of  selfishness.  But 
Thou  canst  make  me  a  universal  linguist. 
Thou  canst  enable  me  to  understand  the 
speech  of  every  heart,  by  giving  me  a  heart 
of  my  own.  When  Thou  shalt  give  me 
utterance,  I  shall  speak  the  language  of  love. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  89 

JUNE  13 

Watchword !  "  And  Jesns  returned  in  the  power  of  the 
Spirit  into  Galilee."— I-uke.  iv.  14. 

Thou  Divine  Spirit,  Who  didst  lead  the 
Son  of  Man  back  to  His  first  home,  I  would 
like  thus  to  be  led  by  Thee.  I  would  like 
to  retrace  the  old  ground  with  Thy  new 
life  in  my  heart.  I  would  like  to  go  back 
to  Galilee  under  the  influence  of  Thy  power. 
It  is  one  thing  to  be  in  Galilee  before,  it  is 
another  thing  to  be  in  Galilee  after  the 
foiling  of  the  tempter.  When  I  return  to 
the  world  with  Thy  power,  it  is  no  longer 
the  same  world  to  me ;  I  can  meet  it  with- 
out fear.     Give  me  that  power,  O  Spirit. 

JUNE  14 

Watchword  i  "  When  we  see  Him  there  is  no  heanty  that 
we  should  desire  Him."— Isa.  Hii.  2. 

Who  shall  see  the  beauty  of  Thy  face, 
O  Lord?  It  is  a  beauty  of  the  spirit,  and 
can  only  be  read  by  the  spirit.  It  is  not 
space  that  veils  Thy  brightness  from  any 
man ;  it  is  the  thoughts  of  the  heart.  That 
which  we  call  the  world  is  within  us:  it  is 
not  in  the  air,  but  in  the  soul.  Not  by 
wings  of  angels,  but  by  purity  of  heart, 
shall  we  find  Thee.  We  speak  of  Thee  as 
behind  the  veil;  Thou  art  only  behind  the 
veil  of  selfishness.  Rend  the  veil  of  self- 
ishness, Lord,  and  we  shall  see  Thee. 


90  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

JUNE  15 

Watchword  !  "  Enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord." 
Matt.  xxv.  21. 

Son  of  Man,  it  is  after  Thy  judgment 
the  words  are  spoken,  "  Enter  into  the 
joy  of  thy  Lord."  Thy  judgment  must 
come  first.  I  must  begin  by  opening  the 
books  and  reading  the  register.  It  is  hard 
reading,  reading  for  a  man,  not  for  a  child. 
But  I  know  that  the  days  of  unconscious 
play  shall  be,  not  my  first,  but  my  latest 
days.  I  know  that  Thy  morning  comes 
after  Thy  evening.  Make  haste  with  Thy 
morning,  O  Lord. 

JUNE  16 

Watchword  \  "  Master,  it  is  good  to  be  here;  letns  make 
three  tahernacles,"— Mark  ix.  5. 

I  too  have  had  this  desire,  O  Christ.  I 
too  have  had  hours  of  spiritual  commun- 
ion, which  I  have  longed  to  make  eternal. 
I  have  cried,  "  Why  must  I  go  back?  Why 
not  linger  for  ever  in  this  calm,  ineffable 
joy?  My  God,  let  me  make  for  Thee  my 
tabernacle  here."  And  Thine  answer  has 
been  "Arise  and  depart,  for  this  is  not  your 
rest.  The  place  that  is  good  for  you  is 
not  the  sphere  of  exaltation,  but  the  sphere 
of  ministration.  The  storm  that  breaks  thy 
mountain  tabernacle  is  itself  thy  rest ;  it 
calls  thee  down  into  the  valley  to  minister. 
Thou  canst  build  thy  tabernacle  there." 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  91 

JUNE  17 

Watchword:  "Then  the  Spirit  said  unto  Philip,  Go  near 
and  join  thy  self  to  this  chariot."— Acts  viii.  29. 

Spirit  of  Christ,  let  the  chariots  of  the 
world  join  themselves  to  Thee.  Thy  way 
is  ever  through  the  wilderness,  across  the 
track  where  the  lonely  dwell.  Into  that  des- 
ert let  Mammon  bring  his  chariots  to  Thee. 
Into  these  waste  places  let  Ethiopia  pour 
her  treasure  for  Thy  use.  Let  Ophir  bring 
her  gold,  Egypt  her  costly  gems,  and  lay 
them  on  Thy  altar — the  altar  of  humanity. 
When  the  box  of  precious  ointment  shall  be 
poured  on  Thy  bleeding  head,  the  chariots 
of  earth  shall  have  become  Thy  chariots  of 
fire. 

JUNE  18 

Watchword:  "He  became  poor,  that  ye  through  His 
poverty  might  be  rich."— 2  Cor.  viii.  9. 

O  Son  of  ]Man,  my  love  becomes  rich  as 
Thou  becomest  poor.  I  meet  Thee  in  the 
place  of  tears:  I  join  Thee  in  the  valley  of 
humiliation.  Death  with  Thee  were  worth 
eternity  without  Thee :  pain  with  Thee  were 
worth  joy  without  Thee.  Thou  art  the 
only  pearl  in  my  sea,  the  only  gem  in  my 
sky.  Thou  art  the  only  song  in  my  soul. 
Pilate  may  divest  Thee  of  Thy  robes,  but 
he  cannot  rob  Thee  of  Thy  beauty.  My 
love  can  see  Thy  kinghood  in  Thy  cross : 
Thy  poverty  has  made  me  rich. 


92  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

JUNE  19 

Watchword:  "But  the  Comforter,  which  is  the  Holy 
Ghost,  whom  the  Father  will  send  in  My  name,  He 
shall  teach  you  all  things,  and  bring  to  your  remem- 
brance whatsoever  I  have  said  unto  you."— John 
xiv.  26. 

Spirit  Divine,  quicken  my  memory  of 
Christ.  I  often  lament  its  shortness  when 
I  should  blame  its  want  of  interest.  Cre- 
ate within  me  a  deeper  interest,  and  I  shall 
have  a  longer  memory.  Inspire  me  with 
the  love  of  Him  who  speaks,  with  the  ad- 
miration of  Him  who  acts,  with  the  devo- 
tion to  Him  who  suffers.  Love  never  for- 
gets ;  its  past  is  ever  present ;  its  yesterday 
is  always  to-day.  Let  Thy  love  make  the 
past  a  present  to  me.  Thy  Gospel  story 
shall  not  recede  with  time,  when  Tliy  love 
has  quickened  the  memory  of  my  heart. 

JUNE  20 

Watchword :  "  And  they  began  to  be  merry." 
Luke  xv.  24. 

Come,  O  Son  of  Man,  with  the  wings  of 
the  morning.  Make  me  free ;  make  me 
buoyant ;  make  me  a  child  of  Nature ;  make 
me  a  breath  of  spring.  Give  me  the  rose 
in  late  autumn  and  the  song  of  the  swal- 
low in  November.  I  have  entered  the  strait 
gate;  I  have  journeyed  by  the  narrow  way; 
when  I  reach  the  Father's  house,  I  shall 
begin  to  be  merry. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  93 

JUNE  21 

Watchword  {  ''  Therefore,  being  by  the  right  hand  of 
God  exalted,  He  hath  shed  forth  this,  which  ye  now 
see  and  hear."— Acts  ii.  33, 

Blest  Son  of  ]\Ian,  Thy  gladness  has  be- 
come what  Thy  grief  could  not  become — 
contagious.  There  were  few  that  could 
Avatch  with  Thee  in  Thy  depression,  but 
Thy  lifting  up  has  drawn  all  men  unto 
Thee.  Thy  transfiguration  has  glorified 
Thy  lifelong  death  which  was  completed  at 
Jerusalem ;  it  has  ennobled  sorrow ;  it  has 
made  the  cross  divine.  The  invitation  is 
irresistible  when  it  says,  "  Enter  into  the 
joy  of  thy  Lord."  It  is  from  Thine  exalted 
heart  that  Thy  Spirit  flows. 

JUNE  22 

Watchword  \   "  Search  me,  0  Gfod,  and  know  my  heart." 
PSA.  cxxxix.  23. 

O  Thou  Divine  Spirit,  cleanse  me  from 
the  deceit  of  my  own  heart.  Reveal  to  me 
that  the  majesty  of  truth  is  seated,  not 
without,  but  within ;  reveal  to  me  that  it  is 
not  enough  that  my  charity  should  say  no 
evil :  it  must  not  keep  back  the  good.  Lift 
me  above  that  spirit  of  detraction  which 
fears  to  strike  but  has  not  the  grace  to  suc- 
cour. Raise  me  above  the  meanness  that 
keeps  back  the  price  of  justice  from  an  in- 
jured foe.  I  shall  be  as  transparent  as  the 
day  when  I  have  spoken  the  truth  to  Thee. 


94  DAY  UNTO  DAY 


JUNE  23 

Watchword ;  "  But  Peter  said,  Ananias,  why  hath  Satan 
filled  thine  heart  to  lie  to  the  Holy  Ghost  ?  "—Acts 

V.  3- 

Spirit  of  truth,  there  are  some  untruths 
that  I  tell  only  to  Thee.  There  are  un- 
spoken falsehoods  not  heard  by  the  ear  of 
my  brother  man,  which  yet  are  audible  to 
Thee.  Sometimes  I  hear  one  maligned 
whom  I  do  not  love.  I  know  that  the 
charge  is  untrue,  yet  because  I  do  not  love 
the  man  I  am  not  sorry  that  others  should 
not  love  him:  therefore  I  keep  silent.  I 
think  I  have  done  well  not  to  have  joined 
in  the  calumny,  but  to  Thine  ear  I  have 
joined  in  it.  I  have  kept  back  the  price  of 
duty.  My  silence  has  evaded  the  law  of 
man,  but  it  has  lied  unto  Thee. 

JUNE  24 

Watchword:   "And  now  behold   I  go  bound  in  the 
Spirit."— Acts  xx.  22. 

Spirit  of  Christ,  Thy  chain  is  golden. 
The  fetters  Thou  imposest  are  wings  of 
freedom.  There  is  no  liberty  like  the  liberty 
of  being  bound  to  go.  When  Thou  layest 
upon  me  the  sense  of  obligation,  that  moment 
Thou  settest  my  spirit  free.  My  strength  is 
proportionate  to  the  strength  of  those  cords 
that  bind  me.  Evermore,  thou  Divine  Spirit, 
guide  me  by  this  instinct  of  the  right. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  95 

JUNE  25 

Watchword  i  "  In  Him  we  live  and  move  and  have  onr 
being."— Acts  xix.  28. 

Put  around  my  heart  the  cord  of  Thy 
captivating  love,  O  my  God,  and  draw  me 
whither  in  my  own  light  I  would  not  go. 
Bind  me  to  Thyself  as  Thou  bindest  the 
planets  to  the  sun,  that  it  may  becom.e  the 
very  law  of  my  nature  to  be  led  by  Thee. 
May  I  be  content  to  know  that  goodness 
and  mercy  shall  follow  me,  without  waiting 
to  see  them  in  advance  of  me.  ]\Iay  I  be 
content  to  feel  that  my  God  shall  be  my  re- 
reward  without  folding  my  hands  till  I  find 
Him  in  the  van, 

JUNE  26 

Watchword :  "  The  Lord  hath  laid  on  Him  the  iniquity 
of  us  all."— ISA.  liii.  6. 

Son  of  Man,  let  this  mind  be  in  me  which 
was  also  in  Thee.  Break  the  partition  be- 
tween my  room  and  my  brother's.  Give 
me  the  identity  of  love.  Create  within  me 
the  pain  of  my  brother,  not  the  pain  for 
him,  but  the  pain  that  should  be  in  him. 
Impel  me  to  the  sacrifice  which  he  should 
bear.  Force  me  to  discharge  the  debts 
which  he  should  pay.  I  shall  be  nearest 
life  when  I  have  most  of  Thy  death.  Thy 
hand  shall  be  laid  very  tenderly  upon  me 
when.  Thou  hast  laid  on  me  my  brother's 
sin. 


96  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

JUNE  27 

Watchword!  "But  he,  being  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
looked  up  steadfastly  into  heaven,  and  saw  the  glory 
of  God,  and  Jesus  standing  on  the  right  hand  of 
God."— ACTS  vii.  55. 

O  Spirit  of  Holiness,  grant  me  Thy  latest 
gift — light.  Thy  beginning  is  love,  but 
light  shall  be  Thy  ending.  It  is  not  a  new 
sense  I  want :  it  is  the  power  to  interpret 
the  old  senses.  I  want  to  go  over  the 
ground  which  I  called  barren,  and  see  if 
it  had  not  all  the  time  been  strewn  with 
flowers.  I  w^ant  to  learn  that  the  days 
which  seemed  to  me  dark  and  dreary  were 
in  truth  the  days  when  heaven  was  opened 
to  my  view.  When  Thou  hast  taught  me 
the  glory  of  sacrifice,  I  shall  look  stead- 
fastly on  the  things  before  which  I  once 
quailed :  above  the  very  place  of  my  mar- 
tyrdom I  shall  see  Jesus. 

JUNE  28 

Watchword!  "Greater  works  than  these  shall  he  do 
because  I  go  unto  My  Father."— John  xiv.  12. 

Son  of  Man,  I  know  now  the  meaning  of 
these  words.  They  mean  that  Thy  elevation 
into  joy  makes  Thy  Spirit  more  potent  over 
humanity.  Thou  hast  ascended  up  on  high. 
Thou  hast  led  captivity  captive,  and  therefore 
the  captivity  of  Thy  own  spirit  has  been 
led  captive.  It  has  burst  forth  from  the 
new  joy  of  Thy  life,  Thy  resurrection  joy. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  97 

JUNE  29 

Watchword  i  "  Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway." 
Matt,  xxviii.  20. 

O  Christ  of  God,  that  is  all  I  want  to 
know.  I  ask  not  the  revealing  of  Thy 
truth ;  I  ask  the  revealing  of  Thee.  Art 
Thou  in  the  thunder,  the  earthquake,  the 
fire  ?  Keep  Thy  mysteries  in  the  great 
deep,  bury  Thy  purposes  in  the  vast  silence ; 
conceal,  if  Thou  wilt,  the  meaning  of  my 
terrors  and  my  tears ;  but  tell  me,  oh !  tell 
me,  that  the  room  which  is  silent  is  not 
empty.  Tell  me  that  in  the  midst  of  the 
furnace  is  one  like  unto  the  Son  of  Man. 
I  am  not  afraid  of  any  judgment  day  when 
Thou  art  on  Thy  throne ;  Thy  presence  is 
enough   for  me. 

JUNE  30 

Watchword :  "  Supposing  Him  to  be  the  gardener." 
John  xx.  15. 

Oh !  Thou  whose  Easter  morning  shines 
in  many  disguises,  help  me  to  recognise 
Thee  everywhere.  Let  me  not  ascribe  to 
the  gardener  the  work  that  is  done  by  Thee. 
I  often  speak  of  the  noble  lives  led  by  men 
who  do  not  know  Thee  :  teach  me  that  Thou 
knowest  them.  Tell  me  that  Thy  presence 
is  wider  than  our  creed,  Thy  temple  bigger 
than  our  sanctuary.  Thy  love  larger  than 
our  law.  Convince  me  that  Thou  enfoldest 
that  which  does  not  enfold  Thee. 


JULY  I 

"Watchword;  "As  the  hart  panteth  after  the  water 
brooks,  so  panteth  my  soul  after  Thee,  0  God."— 
PSa.  lii.  I. 

May  Thy  life  become  to  me  a  habit,  O  my 
God,  an  atmosphere  out  of  which  is  death. 
I  want  to  find  that  to  be  absent  from  Thy 
service  is  to  be  in  poisoned  air,  that  to  be 
engaged  in  Thy  work  is  to  play  in  my  na- 
tive element.  I  would  make  my  service  to 
Thee,  not  an  obedience,  but  a  thirst — the 
thirst  of  the  hart  for  those  water  brooks 
without  which  its  nature  is  unfinished. 
When  the  order  of  my  life  has  become  my 
law,  I  shall  be  free  from  that  other  law 
which  was  made  for  sin  and  death. 

JULY  2 

Watchword  i  "  For  the  law  of  the  Spirit  of  life  in  Christ 
Jesns  hath  made  me  free  from  the  law  of  sin  and 
death."— ROM.  viii.  2. 

Thou,  O  Spirit,  Thou  alone  canst  set  me 
free.  It  is  not  in  freedom  from  the  chain 
that  my  liberation  must  come :  it  is  in  love 
of  the  chain.  It  is  not  by  leaving  the  school 
for  the  playground  that  I  become  a  free 
man :  it  is  in  making  the  school  itself  a 
playground.  What  I  want  is  not  fewer  bul-- 
dens,  but  more  life,  more  love.  I  want  Thy 
law,  which  now  is  outward,  to  become  in- 
ward— the  breath  of  my  nature,  the  neces- 
sity of  my  being. 

98 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  99 

JULY  3 

Watchword  ■.  "  He  being  dead,  yet  speaketh." 
Heb.  xi.  4. 

Thou  hast  taught  me,  O  Lord,  that  the 
work  need  not  end  when  the  Hfe  has 
closed.  Thou  hast  taught  me  that  the  influ- 
ence can  outlive  the  hand  that  shed  it. 
Thou  hast  taught  me  that  much  of  this 
world's  work  is  done  by  the  departed — 
that  we  live  by  the  afterglow  of  many  van- 
ished days.  Help  me  to  remember  the 
afterglow.  When  I  see  lives  interrupted, 
and  am  tempted  to  say,  "  To  what  purpose 
is  this  waste?"  help  me  to  remember  the 
afterglow.  Help  me  to  remember  that 
among  the  forces  of  earth  there  is  none 
more  potent  than  that  of  those  whom  we 
call  the  dead. 

JULY  4 

Watchword:   "  And  hope  maketh  not  ashamed." 

ROM.  V.  5. 

Spirit  divine,  shed  abroad  in  my  heart 
the  love  of  Jesus.  Create  within  me  that 
perfect  love  which  maketh  not  ashamed. 
Help  me  to  lift  His  cross  in  the  face  of 
the  universe,  to  carry  His  burden  in  the 
sight  of  all  mankind.  Enable  me  to  see  the 
majesty  of  His  crown  of  thorns.  When 
Thou  hast  shed  abroad  the  love  of  Him  in 
my  soul,  I  shall  not  be  ashamed  to  hope 
for  the  outcasts  whom  He  bore. 


loo  DAY  UNTO  DAY 


JULY  5 

Watchword  I  "The  fellowship  of  the  mystery." 
Eph.  iii.  g. 

I  thank  Thee,  O  our  Father,  for  this  fel- 
lowship of  the  mystery.  My  brother  and  I 
can  be  united  by  the  things  we  do  not  see. 
Help  him  and  me  to  feel  that  each  of  us 
looks  only  on  a  fragment.  Join  us  by  the 
clouds  over  the  vision.  Bring  us  together 
at  our  sunset,  where  each  of  our  lights  goes 
down.  Let  us  walk  together  through  the 
night  till  the  time  comes  when  we  shall 
walk  by  day. 

JULY  6 

Watchword  i  "  We  ourselves  groan  within  ourselves, 
waiting  for  the  adoption,  to  wit,  the  redemption  of 
the  body."— Rom.  viii.  23. 

Spirit  Divine,  make  the  body  divine  too. 
Redeem  this  outer  man  from  the  sense  of 
bondage.  Give  me  an  enlarged  liberty  of 
action,  a  wider  boundary  of  possession. 
Give  me  the  grace  to  walk  through  the 
corn-fields  on  the  Sabbath  day,  and  yet  to 
keep  the  Sabbath  even  in  my  walking.  Give 
me  the  spotlessness  of  soul  that  can  touch 
the  world  and  remain  unspotted  still — ex- 
posed, yet  undefiled ;  assailed,  yet  free  from 
tarnish;  tempted,  yet  without  sin.  The 
Spirit  is  willing,  but  I  groan  within  myself 
for  the  redemption  of  the  body. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  lor 

JULY  7 

Watchword;  "By  faith  Enoch  was  translated  that  he 
shonld  not  see  death."  -Heb.  xi.  5. 

I  too  need  first  the  vision  of  Thyself,  O 
Lord.  I  would  not  taste  of  death  until  I 
have  seen  Thee.  Even  were  I  told  that 
death  was  but  translation,  I  would  not 
taste  it  till  I  had  seen  Thee.  No  chariot  of 
fire  can  bear  me  to  glory,  unless  the  glory 
be  already  in  my  heart.  Not  to  seek  Thee 
in  heaven  would  I  come :  come  and  seek 
me  on  earth.  I  would  be  translated  before 
death.  Thy  life  is  not  beyond  the  grave : 
it  is  here,  it  is  now. 

JULY  8 

Watchword :  "  And  the  how  shall  be  in  the  cloud." 
Gen.  ix.  16. 

I  thank  Thee,  O  Lord,  that  love,  Thy 
love,  has  the  rainbow.  Though  it  were  only 
one  spark  in  a  rayless  night,  though  it  were 
only  one  seed  in  a  barren  soil — it  has  the 
rainbow.  There  is  no  limit  to  its  power  of 
descending.  When  I  tread  it  in  the  dust 
it  blossoms ;  when  I  crucify  it,  it  is 
crowned !  When  I  bury  it,  it  rises  from 
the  dead ;  when  I  depress  it,  it  is  exalted ; 
when  I  bring  it  to  Calvary,  it  hails  the 
Easter  morning !  I  thank  Thee,  O  Father, 
that  no  cross  can  kill  Thy  Christ ;  I  bless 
Thee  that  Thy  rainbow  promise  is  to  the 
flower,  not  to  the  flood. 


I02  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

JULY  9 

Watchword  i  "  I  will  estaWish  My  covenant  with  yon ; 
neither  shall  all  flesh  be  cut  off  any  more  by  the 
waters  of  the  flood."— <^en.  ix.  u. 

I  thank  Thee,  O  Lord,  that  even  where 
corruption  has  risen  like  a  flood,  it  has 
never  conquered  the  world !  I  thank  Thee 
that  one  stream  of  holiness  has  been  ever 
more  powerful  than  an  ocean  of  iniquity ! 
I  thank  Thee  for  that  promise  made  by  the 
rainbow,  that,  however  hereditary  be  the 
course  of  sin,  it  shall  never  overflood  the 
earth.  I  thank  Thee  for  the  daily  fulfil- 
ment of  this  Thy  promise. 

JULY  10 

Watchword  i  "  But  if  ye,  through  the  Spirit,  do  mortify 
the  deeds  of  the  body,  ye  shall  live,"— Rom.  viii.  13. 

Spirit  of  love,  Spirit  of  the  Son  of  Man, 
let  me  only  sacrifice  through  Thee.  Thou 
desirest  not  my  pain,  else  would  I  give  it 
Thee.  What  is  it  that  Thou  prizest  in  my 
pain?  Nothing  but  the  proof  of  my  love. 
Thou  sayest  to  my  soul,  "  Canst  thou  go 
with  Me  where  I  go?  Dost  thou  deem  Me 
dear  enough  to  stand  by  My  side  in  the 
dark  night?  Then  I  bless  thy  tears,  I 
prize  thy  cross,  I  accept  thy  sacrifice.  Thou 
hast  crucified  thy  body  through  the  love  of 
My  Spirit,  therefore  thou  shalt  live  with 
Me." 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  103 

JULY  II 

Watctword ;  "  Take  heed  therefore  unto  yourselves,  and 
to  all  the  flock  over  which  the  Holy  G-host  hath 
made  you  overseers,  to  feed  the  Church  of  God  which 
He  hath  purchased  with  His  own  blood,"— Acts 

XX.  28. 

Spirit  of  Christ,  give  me  the  sign  that 
Thou  art  in  me.  The  sign  that  Thou  art 
in  me  is  the  possession  of  Thy  power,  and 
Thy  power  is  sacrifice.  It  is  the  sacrificial 
blood  of  love  that  makes  Thee  a  Provi- 
dence :  let  the  same  life  make  me  an  over- 
seer. Thine  empire  is  built  on  ministra- 
tion. Even  such  would  I  have  my  empire 
to  be.  I  would  have  it  constructed  on  the 
power  to  toil  with  those  who  work,  to  bear 
with  those  who  are  burdened,  to  weep  with 
those  who  weep. 

JULY  12 

Watchword:  "  And  there  shall  he  no  more  curse." 
Rev.  xxii.  3. 

I  thank  Thee,  O  Lord,  for  my  glimpses 
of  the  coming  day.  I  thank  Thee  that 
there  are  prophetic  moments  in  which  I 
have  a  sight  of  what  shall  be.  Why  should 
I  not  have  such  moments?  Hast  Thou 
not  given  to  the  swallow  the  vision  of  a 
summer  which  is  yet  far  away?  And  shall 
my  soul  have  no  guide  towards  its  morrow? 
shall  my  heart  have  no  prophecy  of  the  un- 
dawned  day?  I  bless  Thee  for  such  proph- 
ecy, O  my  God. 


I04  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

JULY  13 

Watchword :  "  And  if  Christ  he  in  yon,  the  hody  is  dead 
because  of  sin,  but  the  Spirit  is  life  because  of 
righteousness."— K.OM.  viii.  10. 

Let  me  not  be  dismayed,  O  Thou  Spirit 
of  God,  though  my  body  should  for  a  time 
remain  dead  after  my  aspirations  have  be- 
come alive.  Though  the  dawn  would  be 
useless  without  the  day,  it  is  the  prelude  to 
the  day.  Even  so  is  it  with  the  dawn  of 
Thy  Spirit  within  me.  There  is  still  dark- 
ness all  around ;  the  actions  are  impure, 
the  body  is  dead.  But  the  aspiration  is 
already  up  in  the  sky,  and  therefore  I  know 
assuredly  that  the  reality  is  not  far  away. 
When  my  spirit  aspires  after  righteousness, 
it  is  because  within  me  Thy  Spirit  of 
righteousness  is  alive. 

JULY  14 

Watchword!  "But  ye  are  not  in  the  flesh,  but  in  the 
Spirit,  if  so  be  that  the  Spirit  of  God  dwelleth  in 
you."— ROM.  viii.  9. 

O  Thou  Divine  Spirit,  give  me  the  evi- 
dence that  Thou  art  within  me.  My  earli- 
est sense  of  Thy  presence  in  my  heart 
must  be  my  admiration  of  Thy  beauty.  My 
love  of  Thee  must  precede  my  imitation 
of  Thee.  Thy  loveliness  is  seen  before  Thy 
law.  I  am  a  partaker  of  Thy  Spirit  before 
I  am  a  member  of  Thy  body ;  I  admire 
Thee  sooner  than  I  can  follow  Thee. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  105 

JULY  15 

Watcliword :  "  I  will  multiply  thy  seed  as  the  stars  of 
the  heaven."— Gen.  xxii.  17. 

Hasten,  my  Father,  this  day  of  Thy 
Christ.  Unite  the  souls  of  men  as  Thou 
hast  united  the  orbs  of  heaven.  May  the 
bells  of  union  ring  out — ring  out  the  sepa- 
ration of  countries  and  kindreds,  the  pride 
of  race,  and  the  jealousy  of  privilege;  ring 
out  the  passion  for  monopoly  and  the  lust 
for  special  power ;  ring  out  the  wars  that 
sever  the  cities  of  the  plains ;  ring  in  the 
bond  of  brotherhood,  the  law  of  love,  the 
harmony  of  helpfulness,  the  chord  of  com- 
passion, the  fulness  of  fellowship,  the 
music  of  mercy,  the  symphony  of  now 
silent  souls.  I  desire  to  hear  it,  and  when 
I  hear  it  I  shall  be  glad. 

JULY  16 

Watchword  1  "  How  is  it  that  Thou  wilt  manifest  Thy- 
self unto  us?"— John  xiv.  22. 

Reveal  Thyself,  O  God.  Reveal  the  eter- 
nity in  time,  the  Spirit  in  matter,  the  gos- 
pel in  science,  the  Church  in  the  world. 
Reveal  the  glory  of  common  things,  the 
strength  of  weak  things,  the  hope  of  erring 
things,  the  mystery  of  lowly  things.  Re- 
veal that  as  we  journey  through  the  way  we 
call  the  world  we  are,  all  the  time,  like  Thy 
servant  Abraham,  wandering  unconsciously 
in  the  Promised  Land. 


io6  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

JULY  17 

Watchword  \  "  The  well  of  the  living  One  who  seest  me." 
Gen.  xvi.  14  (margin). 

Help  me  ever  to  remember,  O  Lord,  that 
my  dividing  lines  are  not  Thy  dividing 
lines.  Help  me  to  remember  that  the 
springs  that  Thy  angel  discloses  are  often 
just  in  the  places  which  I  have  pronounced 
dry,  parched  land.  Increase  my  hope  for 
man,  my  sense  of  men's  possibilities.  In 
the  hour  when  I  despair  of  my  brother  let 
me  see  what  Thou  seest,  let  me  hear  what 
Thou  hearest — the  rushing  of  underground 
waters,  the  promise  of  a  life  that  shall 
make  the  desert  glad. 

JULY   18 

Watchword ;  "They  shall  see  eye  to  eye  when  the  Lord 
shall  hring  again  Zion."— Isa.  Hi.  8. 

My  Father,  let  me  not  wait  for  the  union 
of  the  eye.  I  bless  Thee  that  there  is  an 
earlier  union.  I  bless  Thee  that  the  mar- 
riage of  the  heart  precedes  the  marriage  of 
the  mind.  I  bless  Thee  that  men  can  meet 
in  love  ere  they  are  able  to  meet  in  faith. 
I  cannot  see  eye  to  eye  with  my  brother ; 
but  the  very  difference  may  unite  us.  Let 
us  meet  at  the  barriers  of  life  till  we  can 
bask  in  the  revelations  of  the  soul.  When 
the  gates  are  opened  we  shall  see  eye  to 
eye. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  107 


JULY  19 

Watchword  \  "  I  will  seek  that  which  was  lost ...  and  will 
strengthenthat  which  was  sick."— EZEK.  xxxiv.  i6. 

I  thank  Thee,  O  Christ,  that  Thou  hast 
made  a  crown  for  Calvary.  I  thank  Thee 
that  Thou  hast  wreathed  the  brow  of  pa- 
tient pain.  No  more  can  I  behold  the  in- 
valid with  condescending  pity.  No  more 
can  I  view  him  as  a  lame  man  before  a  shut 
gate.  His  weakness  is  itself  his  possible 
path  to  glory.  Thou  hast  called  his  waiting 
work.  Thou  hast  deemed  his  silence  ser- 
vice. Thou  hast  regarded  his  patience  as 
praise.  Thou  hast  accepted  his  tearless- 
ness  as  tribute.  Thou  hast  received  his 
faith  as  fighting.  Thou  hast  hailed  his  val- 
lev  as  a  victory. 

JULY  20 

Watchword  i  "  And  Jacob  said,  God  Almighty  appeared 
nnto  me  . . .  and  blessed  me."— Gen.  xlviii.  3. 
Lord,  give  me  the  blessing  of  Jacob,  his 
best  blessing— his  power  to  bless.  Doubt- 
less it  must  come  with  a  shrunk  sinew.  I 
cannot  keep  the  song  of  the  lark  when  I 
get  the  seal  of  sonship.  I  must  enter  into 
the  pain  of  my  Lord.  Yet  that  pain  is  bet- 
ter than  the  world's  joy.  I  have  heard  men 
speak  of  pain  as  a  blot  on  Thy  universe. 
They  were  wrong;  it  is  the  birthright  of 
the  unblotted.  Give  me  this  birthright,  O 
God. 


io8  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

JULY  21 

Watchwords  "And  Isaac  called  Jacob  and  blessed  him." 
Gen.  xxviii.  I. 

Send  me,  O  Lord,  to  the  hearts  without  a 
home,  to  the  lives  without  a  love,  to  the 
crowds  without  a  compass,  to  the  ranks 
without  a  refuge.  Send  me  to  the  children 
whom  none  have  blessed,  to  the  famished 
whom  none  have  fed,  to  the  sick  whom 
none  have  visited,  to  the  fallen  whom 
none  have  lifted,  to  the  lepers  whom  none 
have  touched,  to  the  bereaved  whom  none 
have  comforted.  Then  shall  I  have  the 
birthright  of  the  firstborn;  then  shall  I 
have  the  blessing  of  the  mighty  God  of 
Jacob. 

JULY  22 

Watchword :  "  Though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of  the 
shadow  of  death  .  ,  ,  Thou  art  with  me."— Psa. 
xxiii.  4. 

Men  have  said,  O  my  Lord,  that  "  death 
is  the  gate  of  life."  Nay,  Thou  art  the 
gate,  and  death  is  the  shady  avenue.  Not 
on  the  other  side  would  I  see  Thy  face 
unveiled;  meet  me  on  this  bank  of  the  crys- 
tal river  !  Come  to  me  in  the  cloud  !  Speak 
to  me  in  my  struggles !  Wait  for  me  at  the 
opening  of  the  valley !  Translate  me  into 
Thy  presence  ere  I  tread  the  narrow  way. 
Send  me  the  morning  before  the  evening ! 
Show  me  heaven  ere  I  die. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  109 

JULY  23 

Watchword;  "  The  Grod  of  hope  fill  yon  with  all  joy  and 
peace  in  believing."— Rom.  xv.  13. 

God  of  hope,  whose  freedom  from  all 
impurity  is  the  absence  of  all  despair,  I 
shall  only  reach  the  perfect  charity  when  I 
come  to  Thee.  Thou  alone  of  all  this  uni- 
verse hopest  unto  the  end.  We  follow  our 
prodigals  afar  off,  and  pursue  their  foot- 
steps for  a  long  time,  but  when  they  touch 
the  country  of  the  Gadarenes  we  lose  sight 
of. them  and  let  them  go.  But  Thou  never 
losest  sight  of  Thy  prodigals — not  even 
amongst  the  swine.  There  is  no  limit  to 
Thy  hope,  because  there  is  no  limit  to  Thy 
love.  It  is  the  limit  to  our  love  that  makes 
us  despair. 

JULY  24 

Watchword  i  "  For  onr  God  is  a  consuming  fire." 
Heb.  xii.  29. 

Reveal  to  me,  O  Lord,  that  fire  which 
burns  and  yet  does  not  consume — the  fire 
of  love.  My  life  will  be  consumed  without 
the  burning  of  that  fire.  It  is  want  of  en- 
thusiasm that  kills  me,  wears  me  away.  My 
soul  dies  through  lack  of  burning.  I  never 
really  live  unless  I  catch  fire.  It  is  the 
commonplace  that  consumes  me.  I  am 
never  so  weary  as  when  I  am  aimless,  never 
so  fatigued  as  when  I  have  nothing  to  do. 
Set  fire  to  my  heart,  O  Lord. 


no  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

JULY  25 

Watchword!  "So  now  it  was  not  you  that  sent  me 
hither,  bnt  God."— Gen.  xlv.  8. 

Lord,  teach  me  the  power  of  life's  seem- 
ing arrests.  Often  have  I  felt  the  grief  of 
Joseph.  Often  have  the  bright  dreams  of 
youth  appeared  to  fade,  and  the  shadows 
of  the  prison-house  to  close  over  the  grow- 
ing man.  I  have  cried  in  the  bitterness  of 
my  soul,  "  The  promise  of  the  morning  is 
broken ;  I  shall  never  now  find  the  treas- 
ure for  which  I  have  sought  so  long."  And 
lo  !  I  have  found  it  in  the  prison-house,  in 
the  dungeon,  in  a  panel  of  the  locked  door. 

JULY  26 

Watchword:  "If  there  be  any  fellowship  of  the  Spirit, 
fulfil  my  joy."— Phil.  ii.  i,  2. 

Send  me  Thy  Spirit,  O  my  God.  Take 
away  the  depression  that  makes  me  seek 
the  shade.  Give  me  the  lightness  of  heart 
that  craves  companionship,  the  joy  that 
longs  to  tell  itself,  the  bouyancy  that  can- 
not be  alone.  Give  me  that  need  for  broth- 
erhood which  disencumbered  souls  alone 
can  feel,  that  joy  in  human  intercourse 
which  only  hearts  at  rest  can  know.  Apart 
from  Thee,  I  have  been  wandering  in  a 
solitary  way,  but  the  days  of  good  fellow- 
ship shall  come  when  I  have  received  Thy 
Spirit. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  iii 

JULY  27 

Watchword  1  "  But  if  I  cast  out  devils  ty  the  Spirit  of 
God,  then  the  kingdom  of  God  is  come  unto  yon."— 
Matt.  xii.  28. 

Son  of  Man,  it  is  by  Thy  Spirit  alone  that 
I  wish  my  demons  to  be  expelled.  I  would 
not  be  freed  from  vice  by  being  freed  from 
impulse :  I  would  not  be  made  pure  by  be- 
ing made  an  icicle.  I  would  be  pure  as 
Thou  art  pure — not  by  receiving  less  life, 
but  by  getting  more.  Love,  more  love, 
Thy  love,  it  is  that  I  want,  not  life  made 
feebler  or  more  inert,  but  life  more  abun- 
dantly, life  eternal. 

JULY  28 

Watchword :  "  Thou  hast  enlarged  me,  when  I  was  in 
distress."— PsA.  iv.  i. 

Shall  I  not  pray  for  such  enlargement, 
O  my  Father?  It  is  only  through  sorrow 
that  I  can  comfort  sorrow.  It  is  for  this 
Thou  sendest  into  my  days  so  many  pillars 
of  cloud;  Thou  wouldest  make  me  a  pillar 
to  the  clouded.  It  is  for  this  Thou  puttest 
fear  within  me — that  I  may  know  myself  to 
be  only  a  man.  It  is  for  this  Thou  spread- 
est  the  canvas  of  sorrow — that  my  broth- 
er's might  may  be  pictured  in  my  soul.  It 
is  for  this  that  Thou  lendest  the  labour  and 
the  ladenness — that  I  may  learn  the  secret 
of  giving  rest.  I  bless  Thee  for  this  Thy 
sympathetic  gift. 


112  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

JULY  29 

Watchword:   "  Behold,  the  hnsh  burned  with  fire,  and 
the  hush  was  not  consumed."— Exod.  iii.  2. 

Set  fire  to  my  heart,  O  Lord.    Kindle  me 

into  the  love  of  humanity.    Inflame  me  with 

the  passion  to  make  my  brother  glad.     Give 

me  a  telepathic  sense  of  others'  pain.     Let 

me    feel    the    sorrows    of    those    to    whom 

Egypt    is    a    foreign    land,    who    are    not 

adapted   to   their   life's   environment.     Lay 

on  my  heart  the  burden  of  the  bondsman, 

the  troubles  of  the  toiler,  the  weights  of  the 

weary.    Help  me  to  live  for  a  day,  yea  even 

for  a  moment,  in  the  experience  of  human 

struggle. 

JULY  30 

Watchword  i  "  That  ye  may  ahonnd  in  hope,  through 
the  power  of  the  Holy  G-host."— Rom.  xv.  13, 

Thou  hopest  even  for  Thy  dead,  O  God 
of  hope.  Thou  rollest  away  the  stone  that 
covers  the  sepulchre  of  poor  humanity,  and 
callest  in  Thy  tenderest  tones,  "  Believe  and 
live."  Thou  enterest  where  man  draweth 
back ;  Thou  searchest  where  man  aban- 
doneth ;  Thou  strivest  where  man  slumber- 
eth ;  Thou  redeemest  where  man  destroy- 
eth.  Thou  findest  gems  in  the  grave ;  Thou 
discoverest  sparks  in  the  snow ;  Thou  light- 
est stars  in  the  night ;  Thou  hearest  songs 
in  the  silence.  Thy  love  is  evergreen,  there- 
fore my  hope  is  eternal. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  113 


JULY  SI 

Watchword!  "And  the  Lord  went  before  them  by  day 
in  a  pillar  of  cloud,  to  lead  them  the  way."— Exod. 


XUl.  21. 


Teach  me,  O  Lord,  that  I  need,  not  only 
Thy  pillar  of  fire  by  night,  but  Thy  pillar 
of  cloud  by  day.  I  never  cease  to  value  the 
first,  but  I  often  forget  the  last.  I  always 
thank  Thee  for  the  stars  in  my  night,  but  I 
seldom  bless  Thee  for  the  spots  in  my  sun. 
I  have  praised  Thee  for  the  silver  lining  in 
my  cloud,  but  I  have  raised  no  monument 
to  my  cloud  itself.  And  yet  there  are  things 
which  the  shadow  alone  can  reveal.  My 
deepest  gain  is  to  find  my  want  of  Thee. 
Why  has  my  pillar  of  cloud  hovered 
around  my  day?  It  is  to  keep  alive  my 
hunger  for  Thee.  I  need  Thy  shadow  as 
much  as  Thy  light.  I  would  rather  pray 
*'lead  me"  than  "light  me." 


AUGUST  I 

Watctword!  "And  Moses  said,  I  will  turn  aside  now 
and  see  this  great  sight,  why  the  hnsh  is  not 
bnrnt."— EXOD.  iii.  3. 

Call  me  up  to  the  burning  bush  where 
Thou  dwellest,  where  Thou  sufiferest,  O  my 
God.  Teach  me  that  the  burning  bush  is 
the  Tree  of  Life  in  the  midst  of  Thy  Para- 
dise. I  speak  of  the  fires  of  hell ;  teach  me 
that  there  is  a  fire  in  heaven,  a  sense  of 
sorrows  not  my  own.  Give  me  this  Divine 
pain,  Thy  pain,  the  pain  of  Calvary.  When 
I  have  overcome  my  selfish  heart  I  shall 
inherit  Thy  Tree  of  Life,  that  burning 
bush  of  sacrifice  which  is  the  glory  of  Thy 
garden. 

AUGUST  2 

"Watchword!  "He  went  away  sorrowful,  for  he  had 
great  possessions."— Matt.  xix.  22. 

Keep  me,  O  my  Father,  from  the  dangers 
,.  p^,^Ve  hill.  Keep  me  from  the  perils  of 
ij^'fv.  perity.  Keep  me  from  the  fire  without 
j^""*  cloud.  Be  the  shade  at  my  right  hand, 
?.nat  the  sun  smite  me  not.  Protect  me  from 
^!i  ly  pride.  Guard  me  from  my  glamour, 
j.^'^'ty  me  in  the  day  of  my  power.  Watch 
disco. „  me  in  the  hour  of  my  wealth.  Succor 
est  star.  ^^^  summer  of  my  year.  Only  then 
in  the  sik.^fi^gj^^,^  gi^^u  I  lift  up  jnine  eyes 
fore  my  ho,  ;^.;;^ 

114 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  115 

AUGUST  3 

Watchword !  "  Grieve  not  the  Holy  Spirit  of  G-od," 
Eph.  iv.  30. 

Spirit  of  the  Holiest,  whose  perfect  love 
opens  Thy  heart  to  the  greatest  sorrow,  let 
not  me  add  to  Thy  grief.  Thou  hast 
wounds  enough  to  bear  without  receiving 
one  from  me.  It  is  divine  in  Thee  to  suf- 
fer, but  it  is  undivine  in  me  to  make  Thee 
suffer.  Instead  of  grieving  Thee,  could  I 
not  help  Thee  to  bear?  Is  there  no  work 
that  we  might  do  together?  Is  there  no 
sorrow  of  Thy  heart  that  I  could  make  a 
sorrow  of  my  heart?  Is  there  no  care  in 
Thy  life  which  I  might  be  permitted  to  call 
my  care? 

AUGUST  4 

Watchword  i  "  Enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord." 
Matt.  xxv.  21. 

I  am  told,  O  Christ,  that  I  am  to  be  a 
sharer  in  Thy  joy.  But  is  not  Thy  joy  just 
the  redemption  from  Thy  grief?  Thy  joy 
is  humanity  redeemed ;  Thy  grief  is  hu- 
manity in  chains.  How  shall  I  rejoice  with 
Thy  laughter  if  I  do  not  weep  with  Thy 
groaning?  How  shall  I  reign  with  Thee 
if  I  have  not  first  suffered  with  Thee?  I 
shall  be  made  glad  with  Thy  rapture  ac- 
cording as  the  days  have  been  wherein  I 
have  been  afflicted  with  Thy  sorrow ;  let 
me  not  grieve  Thee,  but  share  Thy  grief. 


ii6  DAY  UNTO  DAY 


AUGUST  5 

Watchword :  "  They  rose  early,  and  compassed  the  city 
after  the  same  manner  seven  times ;  only  on  that  day 
they  compassed  the  city  seven  times."— Josh.  vi.  15. 

Lord,  there  are  times  when  I  get  work 
to  do  whose  good  I  cannot  see.  Some- 
times before  the  walls  of  Jericho  there  is 
put  into  my  hand  a  trumpet  when  I  think 
it  should  be  a  sword.  Sometimes  I  am 
sent  a  long,  circuitous  march  when  I  ex- 
pect to  be  retained  for  the  assault.  These 
moments  are  very  hard  to  me.  It  is  not 
the  ivork  that  is  hard;  it  is  the  want  of 
vision.  It  is  easy  enough  to  blow  the  trum- 
pet;  it  is  a  light  thing  to  walk  round  the 
city.  The  hard  thing  is  to  see  the  good  of 
it,  to  believe  that  I  am  not  shunted  from  the 
race.  Help  me  at  such  moments,  O  Lord, 
to  say  "  One  step  enough  for  me." 

AUGUST  6 

Watchword!  "Unto  Hannah  He  gave  a  donhle  portion, 
for  He  loved  Hannah."— i  Sam.  i.  5. 

Place  Hannah  in  the  homes  of  our  land, 
O  Lord.  May  her  reverence  be  reflected, 
her  prayers  be  powerful,  her  devotion  be 
diffused.  May  she  clear  life's  clouds;  may 
she  hallow  life's  happiness;  may  she  stir 
life's  sympathies.  The  kingdom  of  earth 
will  be  the  kingdom  of  heaven  when  Han- 
nah rules  the  home. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  117 

AUGUST  7 

Watchword:  "Through  sanctification  of  the  Spirit,  un- 
to obedience,  and  sprinkling  of  the  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ."— I  Pet,  i.  2. 

Translate  me,  O  Spirit  of  Christ,  into 
the  new  bondage — the  bondage  that  makes 
me  free,  the  golden  chain  of  love.  Lift  me 
into  the  new  service — the  service  that  makes 
me  master,  the  devotion  to  a  pure  desire. 
Raise  me  into  the  new  law — the  law  that 
makes  me  dead  to  force  and  fear,  the  lib- 
erty of  a  spirit  whose  will  is  Thy  will.  I 
shall  help  my  Lord  to  bear  His  cross  when 
I  have  passed  from  outward  obedience  into 
the  sprinkling  of  His  blood. 

AUGUST  8 

Watchword  i  "  One  of  His  disciples  said  unto  Him,  Lord, 
teach  us  to  pray,"— Luke  xi.  i. 

Lord,  teach  me  to  pray.  Teach  me  that 
form  of  prayer  which  marks  the  boundaries 
within  which  I  may  ask  of  Thee.  Teach 
me  to  desire  that  by  which  Thy  name  shall 
be  hallowed,  to  seek  that  which  shall  has- 
ten Thy  kingdom,  to  wish  that  which  shall 
be  consistent  with  Thy  will.  Teach  me  be- 
fore all  things  to  say,  "  Our  Father."  I 
sometimes  forget  that  I  have  a  brother ;  I 
sometimes  lose  the  remembrance  that  the 
satisfaction  of  my  want  may  mean  the  im- 
poverishment of  my  brother ;  I  say,  "  Give 
me  my  daily  bread." 


ii8  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

AUGUST  9 

Watchword  i  "  Praying  always  with  all  prayer  and  sup- 
plication in  the  Spirit."— Eph.  vi.  i8. 

Restore  to  me,  O  Divine  Love,  the  mem- 
ory of  Thy  cross.  Restore  to  me  the  fading 
sense  of  Thy  kingdom,  Thy  power.  Thy 
glory.  Remind  me  that  Thy  kingdom  is 
service,  that  Thy  power  is  sacrifice,  that 
Thy  glory  is  humanity  redeemed.  Revive 
within  me  the  sympathy  that  feels  another's 
pain,  the  charity  that  weaves  another's  hope, 
the  love  that  participates  in  another's  joy. 
My  prayer  shall  become  Thy  prayer  when 
I  shall  ask  through  Thy  Spirit, 

AUGUST  10 

Watchword  \  "  Be  ye  filled  with  the  Spirit."-EPH.  v.  i8. 
Oh !  Thou  who  settest  the  solitary  in 
families,  help  me  to  break  the  loneliness  of 
my  own  soul.  That  which  makes  my  own 
soul  solitary  is  the  weight  of  its  past  re- 
membrance. I  am  no  companion  for  oth- 
ers because  I  am  in  communion  with  my 
own  cares.  Hast  Thou  an  elixir  for  self- 
forgetfulness?  Hast  Thou  a  remedy  for 
care,  which  can  destroy  the  care  without 
killing  the  life?  Yes,  Thou,  and  Thou 
alone,  hast  such  a  cure.  Thy  Spirit  can 
give  me  rest — rest  from  myself.  Thy  Spirit 
can  lift  the  burden  from  the  door  that  pre- 
vents my  brother  from  entering  in. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  119 

AUGUST  II 

"Watchword  i  "  Put  them  in  fear,  0  Lord,  that  the  nations 
may  know  themselves  to  be  bnt  men."— Psa.  ix.  20. 

Therefore,  O  my  Father,  I  am  not  afraid 
to  pray  for  the  unsympathetic,  "  Put  them 
in  fear."  I  am  not  afraid  to  say,  "  Make 
them  more  humane  by  teaching  them  to  be 
more  human."  I  am  not  afraid  to  wish 
them  the  good  gift  of  Thy  chariot-clouds. 
I  know  that  Thy  clouds  would  enlarge 
them — give  them  more  driving  room.  I 
know  that  they  would  carry  them  farther 
down  the  road  of  humanity,  farther  up  the 
steep  of  Calvary.  Shall  I  not  wish  such 
enlargement  even  to  my  foe?  Is  not  this 
the  enlargement,  my  Father,  that  Thou 
wishest  for  Thy  foe — this  heart  of  mine, 
alien  to  love? 

AUGUST  12 

Watchword ;  "  The  angel  of  His  presence  saved  them." 
ISA.  Ixiii.  9. 

Reveal  Thy  presence,  O  my  God.  I  want 
Thy  presence  even  more  than  Thy  power. 
The  stilling  of  the  waves  is  something,  but 
it  is  not  the  main  thing.  The  main  thing 
is  that  Thy  way  is  in  the  sea  and  Thy  path 
through  the  deep.  I  would  rather  have  the 
storm  with  Thee,  than  the  calm  without  the 
sign  of  Thee.  I  would  rather  have  the 
cross  with  Thy  pres^ice  than  the  crown  in 
Thy  absence. 


I20  DAY  UNTO  DAY 


AUGUST  13 

Watchword:  "Thy  kingdom  come."— Matt.  vi.  10, 

Often  have  I  said,  "  Thy  kingdom  come  " 
for  my  own  sake;  let  me  say  it  for  Thine, 
O  my  God.  Teach  me  the  sorrows  of  an 
infinite  love  in  a  loveless  world.  Help  me 
to  understand  Thy  cry  for  communion. 
Let  me  feel  the  solitude  of  being  Divine  when 
there  is  no  heart  to  share  the  divineness. 
Let  me  enter  into  the  pain  of  my  Lord,  the 
pain  of  unrequited  love.  Let  me  break  Thy 
loneliness  with  the  touch  of  a  kindred  hand. 

AUGUST  14 

Watchword :  "  Thy  will  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  in 
heaven."— Matt.  vi.  10. 

Often  have  I  prayed,  O  Lord,  "  Thy  will 
be  done,"  to  bring  me  peace;  let  me  pray 
it  to  bring  Thine.  Thy  heart  is  not  at  rest 
when  other  hearts  are  hardened ;  Thy 
Spirit  is  on  the  waters  when  other  wills  are 
wayward.  I  would  pity  Thy  lonely  per- 
fectness.  Thy  solitary  greatness,  Thine  un- 
shared purity.  I  would  understand  the  sor- 
row of  Thy  heart  without  a  home,  Thy  love 
without  a  lodgment.  Thine  appeals  without 
answer.  Thy  calls  without  communion, 
Thy  cares  without  companionship,  Thy 
work  without  watchers.  Thy  voice  without 
vibration  in  a  human  *soul.  In  my  prayers, 
O  God,  let  me  remember  Thee. 


DAY  LWTO  DAY  121 

Ai'crsr  15 

Watchword:  "They  have  taken  away  my  Lord,  and  I 
know  not  where  they  havelaid  Him."— John  xx.  i  ^ 

Teacli  iiic,  O  Divine  Spirit,  that  my  doubt 
is  not  so  much  my  search  for  God  as  God's 
search  for  me.  Only  through  God  can  I 
learn  the  harrier  to  God.  No  man  would 
feel  imprisoned  if  he  had  not  an  experi- 
ence of  liberty.  My  sense  of  bondage  is  my 
vision  of  the  beyond  :  it  is  God  that  makes 
my  want  of  God.  The  Christ  is  still  my 
Lord,  though  it  may  be  I  know  not  where 
they  have  laid  Him. 

AUGUST  16 

Watchword :  "  And  a  man  shall  be  a  hiding-place  from  the 
storm,  and  a  covert  from  the  tempest."    I^a.  xxxii.  2. 

Be  mine,  O  Lord,  the  vision  of  the  min- 

istrant    Man.     That   is   the   dress   in    which 

Thy   Messiah   is  most   beautiful.     Down   in 

dark    Galilee,    down    in    the    region    of   the 

shadow,    it   is   there    I    love   to   meet    Him. 

Where  the  child  is  checked  in  its  growth, 

where  the  woman  is  warped  in  her  progress, 

where   the   poor   are   pushed   to   the   wall — 

where  the  tripping  are  trodden  down,  where 

the  weak  are   weeded  out   by  the   strong — 

it  is  there   I   love   to  meet   Him.     There   I 

see  the  refuge   from  the  storm,  the  covert 

from    the    tempest.      Others    may    admire 

Him    most    in     His    garb    of    transfigured 

glory ;    but    to   me    His    fairest    costume    is 

the  robe  He  wore  for  Calvary. 


122  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

AUGUST  17 

Watchword !  "  In  the  world  ye  shall  have  tribulation  i 
but  be  of  good  cheer,  I  have  overcome  the  world."— 
John  xvi.  33. 

Son  of  Man,  Thy  voice  comes  to  me  from 
the  waves  of  trouble — waves  in  which,  one 
day,  I  myself  must  plunge.  It  cries  '*  Don't 
be  afraid,  I  have  tested  the  waters.  Though 
they  rise  up  to  the  brim,  they  will  not  over- 
flow thee.  I  have  met  them  at  their  ful- 
ness ;  I  know  the  utmost  they  can  do. 
And  I  tell  you  that  their  utmost  is  not  over- 
whelming. I  have  measured  their  bounds. 
and  retained  My  courage ;  I  have  received 
their  force,  and  kept  ]\Iy  footing ;  I  have 
learnt  their  violence,  and  held  fast  My 
faith ;  I  have  sounded  their  depths,  and 
there  is  land  below.  Be  of  good  cheer,  I 
have  overcome  the  world." 


AUGUST  18 

"Watchword  i  "  Hallowed  be  Thy  name."— Matt.  vi.  9. 

Be  this  my  opening  prayer,  O  Father,  the 
prayer  for  Thee.  Let  me  put  Thy  wants 
first.  Ere  I  remember  my  daily  bread  let 
me  remember  Thy  divine  beauty.  Ere  I 
ask  for  pardon  let  me  pray  for  Thy  pros- 
perity. Ere  I  beseech  Thee  for  my  guid- 
ance let  me  wish  Thee  to  be  glorified.  Let 
me  remember  the  wants  of  my  Father. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  123 

AUGUST  19 

Watchword  i  "  Who  also  declared  unto  us  your  love  in 
the  Spirit."— COL.  i.  8. 

"  Love  in  the  Spirit " ;  be  this,  O  Lord, 
my  love  for  Thee.  Let  me  love  Thee  for 
what  Thou  art,  not  for  what  Thou  givest. 
There  are  times  in  which  we  tarry  in  the 
wilderness  all  night,  and  have  no  bread. 
Why  dost  Thou  not  always  multiply  the 
loaves?  Is  it  because  Thou  longest  to  be 
loved  in  the  Spirit,  loved  for  Thyself 
alone?  Let  me  abide  with  Thee  in  the 
desert,  where  there  is  no  bread.  I  came  to 
Thee  when  Thou  wert  loading  me  with  bene- 
fits ;  let  me  stay  with  Thee  when  Thou  hast 
taken  these  benefits  away.  The  loss  of 
Thy  gifts  will  not  break  my  joy  when  I 
have  learned  to  love  Thee  in  the  Spirit. 

AUGUST  20 
Watchword ;  "  The  love  of  Christ  constraineth  us." 

2  COR.  V.  14. 

O  Thou  Divine  Spirit,  that  hast  led  this 
world  over  the  face  of  the  waters  into  the 
haven  of  peace,  lead  my  soul  from  the  toss- 
ing of  enforced  obedience  into  the  rest  of 
a  surrendered  will.  Sprinkle  me  with  the 
blood,  the  sacrificial  blood  of  Jesus.  Give 
me  His  Divine  necessity  to  suffer — the  neces- 
sity of  love.  Impel  me  to  bear  my  brother's 
cross  by  obedience  from  within,  by  submis- 
sion to  the  dictates  of  the  pitying  heart. 


124  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

AUGUST  21 

Watchword :  "  Whosoever  drinketh  of  the  water  that  I 
shall  give  him,  shall  never  thirst."— John  iv.  14. 
Teach  me,  O  Christ,  that  only  in  that 
mighty  thirst  shall  the  power  of  all  other 
thirsts  be  allayed;  only  in  that  endless 
fiame  of  Thy  love  shall  the  worm  of  my 
care  be  made  to  die.  My  care  comes  back 
because  finite  joys  grow  dim;  it  shall  be 
consumed  for  evermore  in  that  joy  whose 
every  height  reveals  new  heights  to  come. 
I  shall  find  peace  from  my  own  torments  in 
that  fire  of  Thine  which  cannot  be  quenched. 

AUGUST  22 

Watchword :  "  The  calf  and  the  yonng  lion  and  fatling  to- 
gether, and  a  little  child  shall  lead  them."— Is  a  .  xi.  6. 
I  thank  Thee,  O  Lord,  for  the  courage 
and  the  kingdom  of  the  Son  of  Man.  I 
thank  Thee  that  the  still  small  voice  has 
conquered  the  thunder,  the  earthquake,  and 
the  fire.  I  thank  Thee  that  Thou  hast  re- 
vealed to  men  a  new  ideal  of  bravery — a 
bravery  born  of  fear.  In  the  old  kingdom 
the  lion  and  lamb  were  separate ;  daring 
could  not  dwell  beside  shrinking.  But  now 
that  Thy  kingdom  has  come,  the  lion  can 
lie  down  with  the  lamb,  courage  and  fear 
can  embrace  each  other.  I  would  not  ask 
of  Thee  the  courage  of  recklessness,  or  the 
courage  of  conquered  fechng;  make  me 
brave  by  my   fears,  O  Lord. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  125 

AUGUST  23 
Watchword!  "  Quench  not  the  Spirit."-i  Thess.  v.  iq. 
Oh !  Thou  for  whom  I  pant  as  the  hart 
panteth  for  the  water-brooks,  keep  alive  the 
thirst  of  my  soul.  Thy  Spirit  in  me  is  my 
thirst  for  Thee;  let  me  not  quench  that 
Spirit.  I  fear  to  lose  the  thirst  for  Thee 
through  disuse  of  Thee.  I  fear  that  the 
craving  may  subside  by  abstaining  too  long' 
from  the  living  waters.  Bring  me  to  the 
waters,  O  my  God. 

AUGUST  24 

■Watchword  i  "  And  the  Lord  said  unto  David,  Whereas 
it  was  in  thine  heart  to  build  an  house  unto  My 
Name,  thou  didst  well  that  it  was  in  thine  heart ! 
nevertheless  thou  shalt  not  build  the  house."— 
I  Kings  viii.  i8, 19. 

Father,  I  have  no  temple  built  which  is 
worthy  of  Thee.  There*  is  nothing  which 
my  hands  have  reared  that  I  would  be  will- 
ing to  live  by.  Whenever  I  make  Thee  a 
cathedral,  there  rises  in  my  imagination 
another  house,  which  puts  it  to  shame. 
Take  that  other  house,  O  my  Father.  It  is 
untouched  by  hammer  or  axe,  it  has  yet 
neither  a  local  habitation  nor  a  name.  It  is 
all  in  the  spirit;  it  is  what  I  mean  to  do. 
But  Thou  art  the  Father  of  spirits.  Thou 
canst  not  be  gladdened  by  what  I  do,  but 
the  river  of  Thy  pleasures  is  the  aspiring  of 
my  heart. 


126  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

AUGUST  2S 

Watchword :  "  Thou  shalt  make  them  drink  of  the  river 
of  Thy  pleasures."— PSA.  xxxvi.  8. 

Let  me  drink  once  of  the  river  of  Thy 
pleasures,  O  my  God — not  that  I  may  thirst 
no  more,  but  that  I  may  thirst  no  more  for 
any  lower  thing.  Not  to  lose  the  desire  of 
Thee  do  I  come  to  Thee ;  I  come  to  have  it 
deepened.  I  have  read  of  a  worm  that 
dieth  not,  and  of  a  fire  that  is  not  quenched ; 
but  I  know  a  fire  that  is  not  quenched 
where  the  worm  does  die.  It  is  the  fire 
of  Thy  love,  my  Father,  the  insatiate  long- 
ing of  my  heart  for  Thee. 

AUGUST  26 

"Watchword !  "  They  that  wait  upon  the  Lord  shall  re- 
new their  strength."— Isa.  xl.  31, 

I   thank   Thee,   O   God,   that   while   men 

speak  of  aspiring  youth,  Thou  dost  teach  of 

aspiring    age.      The    birds    of    Thy    highest 

heaven  twitter  in  the  evening  air.     Faith's 

song  is  more  wonderful  at  the  setting  than 

at  the   rising  of  the  sun.     Love's  voice   is 

more    prophetic    when    it    has    learned    the 

labours  of  the  wing.     Hope's  trill  is  more 

melodious   when   it  issues   from   the   cloud. 

Joy's  note  is  more  assuring  when  it  comes 

from    the    closing    day.       The    old    man's 

dreams   are   better   than   the   young   man's 

visions;   truly,   O   Father,   Thou   hast   kept 

the  best  wine  until  the  last. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  127 

AUGUST  27 

Watchword !  "  When  they  were  alone  He  expounded  all 
things  nnto  His  disciples."— Mark  iv.  34. 

So  let  me  hear  Thy  voice,  O  Christ,  Thy 

voice  speaking  unto  me  alone.     Was  it  not 

when  the  spectators  had  all  gone  out  that 

Thou  didst  speak  to  her  who  was  a  sinner? 

So  let  it  be  with  me.     Send  the  multitude 

away.       Meet    me    on    my    own    threshold. 

Meet  me  in  the  stillness  of  my  own  heart, 

in   the   silence   of  my  own   reflective  hour. 

Reveal   to   me   Thy  greatness.     Flash   Thy 

light   upon   the   treasures   hid   in   my   field. 

Show  me  the  diamond  in  my  dust.     Read 

me    the    charter    of    my    human    freedom. 

When  Thou  hast  magnified  my  soul  I  shall 

learn  my  need  of  Thee. 

AUGUST  28 

Watchword:  "  I  was  in  the  Spirit  on  the  Lord's  day," 
Rev.  i.  10. 

O  Spirit,  let  me  too  even  in  Patmos  have 
the  Sabbath  rest.  My  love  will  not  be  per- 
fected until  it  can  keep  its  Sabbath  there. 
I  want  to  be  able  to  hear  Thee  moving  on 
the  face  of  my  waters ;  I  want  to  be  able  to 
know  Thee  behind  my  cloud  and  my  care. 
Mine  is  a  poor  Sabbath  if  it  does  not  come 
after  the  chaos.  I  am  not  satisfied  till  I 
can  say  of  my  love  "  It  is  finished."  I  have 
not  reached  the  summer  of  my  soul  until  I 
can  meet  Thee  in  the  clouds  of  heaven,  and 
say  of  these  clouds,  "  It  is  the  Lord's  day." 


128  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

AUGUST  29 

Watchword  1  "  Who  through  the  eternal  Spirit  offered 
himself."— Heb.  xi.  14. 

My  Father,  may  my  sacrifice  too,  like  that 
of  Abraham,  be  accepted  in  its  inwardness. 
I  have  brought  up  my  gift  to  Mount  Mo- 
riah,  and  laid  it  before  Thee — laid  it  open 
in  my  heart.  Wilt  Thou,  O  Father,  see  it 
there,  and  hold  it  already  given.  Wilt 
Thou  accept  the  offering  of  the  will  as  an 
offering  of  the  gift.  Thou  askest  not  the 
blood  of  Isaac  when  Thou  hast  seen  the 
blood  of  Abraham.  Thou  wilt  count  my 
faith  unto  me  for  righteousness,  my  devo- 
tion for  the  deed,  for  Thou  indeed  dost 
know  that  the  sacrifice  which  lags  behind 
in  the  flesh  has  been  offered  already  in  the 
eternal  Spirit. 

AUGUST  30 

Watchword :  "  And  I  saw  no  temple  therein,  for  the  Lord 
God  Almighty  and  the  Lamh  are  the  temple  of  it."— 
Rev.  xxi.  22. 

O  Thou  whose  love  is  not  confined  to 
temples  made  with  hands,  enlarge  my  heart 
to  worship  Thee.  Help  me  to  see  Thee 
where  men  see  only  the  world,  to  hear  Thee 
where  men  hear  only  the  voices  of  the 
crowd.  Enlarge  the  range  of  my  reverence. 
Teach  me  to  realise  the  awful  solemnity 
of  things  which  I  call  common.  May  I  in- 
deed see  Thee  everywhere. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  129 


AUGUST  31 
Watchword:  "I  will  speak  with  Thee."— Ezek.  ii.  i. 
Meet  me  alone,  O  Lord.  Let  me  feel  the 
awful  dignity  of  my  own  soul.  I  am  not 
so  much  afraid  of  Thy  judgment  day  as  of 
the  general  assize  which  men  have  figured 
there.  I  fear  lest  my  sight  of  the  crowd 
may  dim  the  sight  of  my  own  importance. 
I  have  heard  m.en  say  that  my  danger  lies 
in  my  pride.  No;  it  lies  in  my  humiHty. 
I  have  not  reaHsed  the  possibilities  of  my 
own  soul.  I  have  viewed  myself  as  a  frag- 
ment of  the  race.  I  have  thought  myself  a 
rag  driven  by  the  wind — impelled  by  a 
force  behind  me.  I  have  sheltered  myself 
under  my  own  nothingness.  I  have  blamed 
the  past  ages  for  my  sin,  I  have  called  my- 
self the  victim  of  heredity ;  I  have  crouched 
behind  the  multitude.  Bring  me  out  from 
the  covert  of  my  fig-leaves,  O  my  God. 


SEPTEMBER  i 

Watchword ;  "  He  that  keepeth   His  commandments 
dwelleth  in  Him."—  John  iii.  24. 

0  Divine  Spirit,  become  in  me  the  prin- 
ciple of  inward  rest.  I,  too,  would  know 
the  permanence  of  Thy  presence,  the  abid- 
ingness  of  Thy  rest.  Its  test  will  be  my 
power  to  do  right  in  a  world  where  men 
do  the  wrong,  to  be  stable  amid  the  wav- 
ering, to  be  steadfast  amid  those  that  suc- 
cumb. Then  shall  I  have  a  test  which  the 
hermit  never  knew,  for  there  is  nothing 
but  inward  rest  that  can  stand  the  outward 
fight ;  hereby  shall  I  know  Thine  indwell- 
ing, if  I  can  keep  Thy  commandments. 

SEPTEMBER  2 

Watchword ;  "  In  Me  ye  may  have  peace." 
John  xvi.  33. 

1  came  to  Thee,  O  Son  of  Man,  when 
the  multitude  cried  "  Hosannah !  "  Let  me 
remain  with  Thee  after  they  have  shouted 
''  Crucify !  "  I  came  to  Thee  when  Thy 
way  was  strewn  with  palm-leaves ;  let  me 
linger  with  Thee  when  Thy  brow  is 
wreathed  with  thorns.  Teach  me  to  feel 
that  the  wilderness  with  Thee  is  better 
than  the  garden  without  Thee.  Then  shall 
I  know  the  peace  that  passeth  understand- 
ing— the  peace  which  the  world  cannot 
take  away. 

I30\ 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  131 

SEPTEMBER  3 

Watchword!  "By  faith  Noah  prepared  an  ark  to  the 
savingof  his  house."— Heb.  xi.  7. 

May  I  never  leave  Thy  house,  O  my  God, 
but  remain  in  it  all  the  days  of  my  life. 
May  Thy  house  be  to  me,  everywhere ;  may 
I  feel  when  I  enter  my  home  I  am  going 
into  a  temple,  an  atmosphere  of  holy  ser- 
vice. May  I  see  all  its  duties  consecrated. 
In  breaking  bread  to  the  family  circle,  may 
I  be  fulfilling  one  form  of  the  command 
*'  This  do  in  remembrance  of  Me."  May  I 
make  my  house  Thy  house.  May  I  conse- 
crate each  word  and  look  and  deed  in  the 
social  life  of  home.  May  I  build  an  ark  of 
refuge  for  the  wants  of  the  common  day ; 
verily  thus  shall  my  labour  of  love  be  called 
an  act  of  faith, 

SEPTEMBER  4 

Watchword:   " Behold,  He  cometh  with  clouds." 
Rev.  i.  7. 

Thou  makest  the  clouds  Thy  chariots, 
O  my  God.  Clouds  and  darkness  are  round 
about  me,  trumpets  are  sounding,  seals  are 
opening,  vials  are  outpouring  their  draughts 
of  bitterness.  But  all  these  are  Thy  char- 
iots, O  God.  Thou  comest  with  clouds. 
May  not  I  rest  in  Thy  chariot  of  clouds  as 
Elijah  rested  in  Thy  chariot  of  fire?  May 
not  I  ascend  to  heaven  by  the  same  means 
wherewith  Thou  descendest  to  earth? 


132  DAY  UNTO  DAY 


SEPTEMBER  5 

Watchword :  "  The  Lord  knoweth  the  way  of  the  right- 
eous."—Psa.  i.  6. 

May  we,  too,  grant  unto  Thee  the  joy  of 
such  knowledge,  O  Lord?  May  our  hearts 
be  in  sympathy  with  Thy  heart,  our  Hves  in 
unison  with  Thy  life,  our  wills  in  harmony 
with  Thy  will.  Then  shall  we  have  the  joy 
of  all  joys— the  joy  of  making  glad  the 
heart  of  God.  Communion  is  dear  to  Thy 
Spirit,  O  Heavenly  Father,  for  the  Spirit 
of  the  Father  is  love,  and  love  seeketh  not 
her  own.  It  cannot  rest  in  aught  but  the 
vision  of  its  object;  it  must  speak,  and  must 
be  answered  again ;  it  must  know  even  as 
it  is  known. 

SEPTEMBER  6 

Watchword  \  "  Mary  hath  chosen  the  good  part,  which 
shall  not  be  taken  away  from  her."— Luke  x.  42. 
Therefore  we  reiterate  our  prayer,  bring 
Mary  to  our  banquets,  Lord.  Bring  souls 
that  can  sympathize  with  another  because 
they  have  forgotten  themselves.  Bring 
men  that  have  conquered  their  jealousy, 
women  that  have  put  away  their  vanity. 
Make  room  for  each  soul  to  get  out,  out 
from  its  own  environment  into  the  environ- 
ment of  another.  Empty  my  soul  of  self- 
consciousness,  that  I  may  be  conscious  of 
a  companion's  need.  I  shall  be  fit  for  every 
banquet  if  I  have  the  spirit  of  Mary. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  133 


SEPTEMBER  7 

Watchword:  "And  he  carried  me  away  in  the  Spirit  to 

a  great  and  high  monntain  and  showed  me  that 

great  city,  the  holy  Jerusalem,  descending  ont  of 

heaven  from  Qod."— Rev.  xxi.  lo. 

Spirit  Divine,  send  into  my  spring  pre- 
monitions of  the  summer  gold.  Send  me 
in  advance  days  of  warmth  above  their* 
season,  days  of  sunshine  brighter  than 
their  time.  May  I  know  Thee  in  Thy  stage 
of  overflowing  joy.  Hast  Thou  not  mo- 
ments in  which  my  soul  is  carried  away, 
transported,  surprised  out  of  itself?  Such 
moments  I  ask  of  Thee,  O  my  God.  Mount 
Ararat  was  dry  when  all  beside  was 
flooded,  but  Mount  Ararat  was  the  reality 
and  all  beside  was  vanishing  away.  When 
Thy  sunlight  touches  the  summits  of  the 
mountains,  I  know  that  ere  long  there  shall 
be  light  in  the  city.  too. 

SEPTEMBER  8 

Watchword :  "  Keceived  ye  the  Spirit  by  the  works  of 
the  law,  or  by  the  hearing  of  faith?"— Gal.  iii.  2. 
O  Sun  of  Righteousness,  whose  healing 
wings  begin  by  overshadowing  me !  O 
spotless  Lamb,  whose  glory  crucifies  my 
pride !  O  Pearl  of  great  price,  before  whose 
flashing  radiance  my  gold  indeed  is  dim ! 
the  shadow  and  the  cross,  and  the  dimness, 
are  all  from  Thee.  It  is  Thy  Spirit  within  me 
that  hast  taught  me  Thy  height  above  me ; 
my  despair  of  myself  is  born  of  faith  in  Thee. 


134  DAY  UNTO  DAY 


SEPTEMBER  9 

Watchword!  "I  am  the  door;  hy  Me  if  any  man  enter 

in,  he  shall  be  saved,  and  shall  go  in  and  ont,  and 

find  pastnre."-JoHN  x.  9. 

May  I  realise,  O  my  God,  that  Thy  love 
helps  all  other  love  as  surely  as  the  vision 
.of  the  sun  helps  all  other  vision;  that  Thy 
love  is  something  to  love  with,  just  as  the 
sun's  light  is  something  to  see  with;  it 
teaches  the  loveless  how  to  love.  He  who 
has  been  in  at  the  Door  is  distinguished 
amongst  men.  He  is  marked  out  by  the  in- 
tensity of  his  human  nature.  He  shall 
hope  more  for  the  world,  work  more,  suffer 
more,  for  it  is  in  the  world  that  he  seeks 
for  the  pasture  which  has  been  provided 
by  the  Shepherd-King.  He  that  enters  by 
this  Door  goes  in  and  out  at  will. 

SEPTEMBER   10 

Watchword :  "  Peed  My  sheep,  Feed  My  lamhs." 
John  xxi,  15. 

O  Good  Shepherd,  help  me  to  realise  day 

by  day  that   the  possession  of  the  keys  of 

Thy   kingdom   is    the    commission   to    feed 

Thy  sheep.    Help  me  to  learn  hour  by  hour 

that   the   test   of   loving   more   than   others 

love,    is   the    stooping   to   feed   Thy   lambs. 

The    measure    of    my    power    shall    be    the 

measure   of   my   self-forgetfulness :    I    shall 

know  that  Thou  hast  made  me  an  overseer 

when  in  sacrifice  I  have  shed  my  blood. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  135 

SEPTEMBER  11 

Watchword :  "  And  when  they  were  alone,  he  expounded 
all  things."— Mark  ix.  34. 

It  is  only  when  I  am  alone  with  Thee,  O 
Christ,  that  I  perfectly  understand  Thee. 
Outward  life  is  a  parable  and  it  is  often 
hard  to  read.  But  Thou  dost  reveal  this 
parable  unto  my  solitary  soul.  Out  of  the 
darkness  I  have  grown  to  Thee.  Over  the 
waves  I  have  been  borne  to  Thee,  from  the 
grave  of  buried  hopes,  I  have  been  raised 
to  Thee.  I  will  not  be  afraid  though  the 
earth  be  removed,  and  the  hills  be  shaken 
with  the  swelling  seas,  for  Thou  hast 
taught  me  in  the  lone  silence  of  my  spirit 
the  exposition  of  the  great  parable — the 
ark  in  the  flood, 

SEPTEMBER  12 

Watchword  :  "  My  strength  is  made  perfect  in  weak- 
ness."—2  Cor.  xii.  g. 

My  God,  let  me  start  again  on  the  path 
of  existence,  no  longer  in  search  of  Thee, 
but  with  Thee.  Let  me  meet  Thee  at  the 
door  of  life,  that  thou  mayest  be  my  inter- 
preter through  all  the  way.  When  crosses 
lie  before  me  and  I  call  them  accidents,  in- 
terpret Thou  to  me ;  show  me  that  the  Cross 
is  the  road  to  the  crown.  When  weakness 
overtakes  me  and  I  call  it  failure,  interpret 
Thou  to  me ;  show  me  that  Thy  strength  is 
made  perfect  in  weakness. 


136  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

SEPTEMBER  13 

Watchword;  "Then  they  willingly  received  Him  into 
the  ship,  and  immediately  the  ship  was  at  the 
land."— John  vi.  21. 

May  the  tempest  itself  be  to  me  Thy 
voice,  O  Christ,  the  sea  itself  be  to  me  the 
heaving  of  Thy  bosom  of  love.  I  can  have 
no  peace  in  the  storm  till  I  know  that 
Thou  art  in  it,  till  I  hear  the  troubled  wa- 
ters saying  ''  It  is  I."  And  then  it  shall  be 
immediate  land.  The  thunder  shall  become 
Thy  still  small  voice.  When  my  will  shall 
be  Thy  will  there  shall  be  no  more  sea ; 
when  I  have  received  Thee  into  the  ship  I 
shall  touch  the  summits  of  Ararat. 

SEPTEMBER  14 

Watchword  1  "  And  the  Lord  G-od  formed  man  of  the 
dnst  of  the  ground,  and  breathed  into  his  nostrils 
the  breath  of  life."— Gen.  ii.  7. 

May  I  realise,  O  my  God,  Thou  dost  ever 
take  the  things  of  the  highest  to  give  to 
the  lowest.  Thou  takest  Divine  Love  and 
dost  shed  it  downward  upon  that  which  is 
beneath  Thee.  Shed  it  down  upon  the  low- 
liest things  that  breathe — upon  the  insect 
that  lives  but  for  an  hour,  upon  the  reptile 
that  creeps  in  the  mire.  Shed  it  down  until 
it  shall  become  that  glass  in  which  man  may 
behold  Thy  glory  even  in  the  dust,  and  in 
whose  reflected  radiance  the  dust  itself  shall 
be  transformed  into  the  image  of  the  Divine. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  137 

SEPTEMBER  15 

Watchword :  "  And  the  Lord  turned  the  captivity  of  Job 
when  he  prayed  for  his  friends."  —Job  xlii,  lo. 

Oh  !  Thou  Divine  Spirit  of  self-forgetful- 
ness,  Spirit  of  Christ,  Spirit  of  the  Cross, 
it  is  in  Thee  alone  that  I  find  this  freedom. 
Liberate  me  from  myself,  help  me  to  take 
up  the  burdens  of  others.  Help  me  to  know 
what  it  is  to  have  peace  in  carrying  a  new 
care — Thy  care.  Help  me  to  learn  what  it 
is  to  be  transfigured  in  the  prayer  for 
others — my  captivity  shall  be  turned  back 
when  I  have  prayed  for  my  captive  friends. 

SEPTEMBER  16 

Watchword:  "Blessed  are  the  meek,  for  they  shall  in- 
herit the  earth."— Matt.  v.  5. 

Oh !  Thou  Divine  power  of  meekness,  I 
bow  before  Thy  marvellous  strength.  I 
stand  amazed  in  the  presence  of  that  might 
which  could  empty  itself  of  all  might. 
Thou  art  more  wonderful  to  me  in  Thy 
cross  than  in  Thy  crown.  Thou  are  greater 
to  me  in  what  Thou  hast  given  up  than  in 
what  Thou  possessest.  Thy  majesty  is  Thy 
self-surrender.  Thy  Kinghood  is  Thy  ser- 
vice. Thou  art  the  Head  over  the  body  of 
humanity,  just  because  without  complain- 
ing Thou  takest  the  pains  of  all  its  mem- 
bers. Thy  meekness  truly,  O  Christ,  hath 
inherited  the  earth. 


138  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

SEPTEMBER  17 

Watchword !  "  And  there  I  will  meet  with  the  children 
of  Israel,  and  the  tabernacle  shall  be  sanctified  by 
My  glory. "—EXOD.  xxix.  43. 

Teach  me,  my  God,  that  all  things  are 
good  and  perfect  gifts  from  Thee,  even  the 
terror  by  night  and  the  arrow  that  flieth 
by  day.  Teach  me  that  Thy  love  can  have 
no  variableness,  nor  the  least  shadow  of 
turning.  Let  me  believe  in  Thy  love  he- 
fore  all  events,  that  I  may  interpret  all 
events  by  Thy  love.  The  sacrifices  of  life's 
tabernacle  shall  be  sanctified  when  I  have 
met  Thee  at  the  door. 

SEPTEMBER  18 

Watchword:  "  Mary  therefore  took  a  ponnd  of  ointment, 
very  precious,  and  anointed  the  feet  of  Jesus."— 
John  xii.  3. 

Bring  Mary  to  our  banquets,  O  Lord. 
Our  modern  life  is  a  day  of  hospitality; 
some  think  its  festivities  make  it  alien  to 
Thee.  But  in  truth  its  gaieties  may  be  Thy 
gateways.  Teach  me  that  in  the  festive 
hour  there  is  room  for  sacrifice.  Teach 
me  that  without  Mary  the  grandest  feast 
is  like  the  splendour  of  a  winter  sun.  I 
would  ask  Thee  to  begin  my  toilet  by  tak- 
ing away  the  robe  of  self-thought.  I  can 
never  enter  into  another's  thought  if  I  am 
preoccupied  with  my  own. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  139 


SEPTEMBER  19 

"Watchword!  "As  for  me,  I  shall  behold  Thy  face  in 
righteousness."— PSA.  xvii.  15. 

My  Father,  there  is  a  type  of  beauty 
which  I  would  like  to  possess— the  face  that 
has  seen  Thy  face.  It  is  Thy  fairest  gift 
of  beauty  to  a  human  form,  for  it  is  the 
loveliness  of  love.  I  can  only  reach  it  by 
gazing  on  Thee;  one  touch  of  self-remem- 
brance would  make  the  picture  void.  And 
should  I  reach  it,  it  will  attract  to  Thee, 
rather  than  to  me.  INIen  will  not  call  it 
fair;  they  will  term  it  good.  Even  so, 
Father,  I  desire  it  should  speak  for  Thee. 
I  would  keep  it  as  a  magnet  to  draw  the 

world  to  Thee. 

SEPTEMBER  20 

Watchword !  "  In  Him  dwelleth  all  the  fulness  of  the 
Godhead  bodily  ."-Col.  ii.  g. 
We   are   all   seeking   Thy   dwelling-place. 
Thou    King   of  kings.      We   have   not   yet 
found    a    palace    large    enough    to    contain 
Thee.     The  heaven  of  heavens  cannot  con- 
tain Thee,  but  the  broken  and  contrite  heart 
can;    it   is   there   Thou   delightest   most   to 
dwell.     Thy   temple   is   the   heart   of   Him 
whom   men   have  called  the   Man   of   Sor- 
rows.    Thy   fulness   dwells   in   His   empti- 
ness,  Thy   strength  in   His  weakness.   Thy 
joy  in  His  sorrow.  Thy  crown  in  His  cross. 
There  would  I  seek  Thee,  O  my  God. 


I40  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

SEPTEMBER  21 

Watchword !  "  Thy  gentleness  hath  made  me  great." 
PSA.  xviii.  35. 

Let  me  see  the  dangers  of  Babylon,  O 
Lord ;  let  me  gaze  on  its  sins  and  sorrows^ 
follow  its  famished  crowds,  look  on  its 
struggling  millions.  May  their  danger 
make  me  dauntless,  their  peril  give  me 
power.  May  their  cry  give  me  courage, 
their  struggle  bring  me  strength,  their  pain 
make  me  potent,  their  need  lend  me  nerve, 
their  burden  send  me  boldness,  their 
wrongs  reverberate  like  war-notes  in  my 
heart.  Then  shall  it  be  said,  "  Thy  gentle- 
ness has  made  mc  great,"  then  shall  the 
lion  flourish  by  the  strength  of  the  lamb. 

SEPTEMBER  22 

Watchword:  "  This  is  none  other  than  the  house  of  God." 
Gen.  xxviii.  17. 

Impress  me  with  the  truth,  O  Christ, 
that  the  meanest  household  duty  is  a  service 
of  Thee,  that  the  smallest  act  of  kindness 
is  a  praise  of  Thee,  that  the  tiniest  cup  of 
water,  though  it  were  given  only  in  a  dis- 
ciple's name,  is  a  worship  and  a  love  of 
Thee.  Help  me  to  feel  the  sense  of  Thy 
presence  everywhere,  that  even  in  the  pro- 
saic haunts  of  men  and  in  the  common- 
place battle  of  life  I  may  be  able  to  lift  up  my 
eyes  and  say,  "  This  is  none  other  than  the 
house  of  God,  this  is  the  gate  of  heaven." 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  141 


SEPTEMBER  23 

Watchword ;  "  And  a  man  shall  be  ...  a  covert  from 
the  tempest."— ISA.  xxxii.  2. 

O  Thou  Son  of  Man,  who  by  lifting  the 
burdens  of  our  humanity  hast  made  Thine 
own  yoke  easy  and  Thine  own  burden  light, 
lift  this  life  of  mine  into  sympathy,  into 
union  with  Thee.  I  am  weary  of  myself, 
w^eary  of  the  burden  and  the  heat.  I  am 
seeking  everywhere  for  a  hiding-place  from 
the  storm,  for  a  covert  from  the  tempest. 
But  the  storm  is  not  without  me,  but 
within:  the  tempest  is  not  in  my  circum- 
stances, but  in  me.  Son  of  Man,  save  me 
from   myself,   that   I   may   enter    into   Thy 

■  peace. 

SEPTEMBER  24 

Watchword  i  "  There  shall  he  no  more  sea,"-RE  v.  xxi.  i. 
Son  of  Man,  save  me  from  myself,  that  I 
may  enter  into  Thine  unspeakable  joy.  In- 
spire me  with  Thine  own  burden  of  love, 
that  the  care  of  self  my  fall  from  me,  and 
that  with  Thy  Divine  freedom  I  may  be 
free.  Help  me  to  take  up  Thy  cross,  that  I 
myself  may  be  lifted  up.  Give  me  Thy 
spirit  of  sacrifice,  that  I  may  be  elevated 
above  my  fears.  Unite  me  to  the  great 
continent,  the  brotherhood  of  human  souls, 
that  the  storms  of  my  island  life  may  be 
lulled  to  rest;  then  shall  I  be  able  in  my 
heart  to  say,  "  There  is  no  more  sea." 


142  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

SEPTEMBER  23 

Watchword ;  "  The  veil  of  the  temple  was  rent  in  twain." 
Matt,  xxvii.  51. 

Under  the  shadow  of  that  cross  where 
death  meets  life  and  earth  is  touched  by- 
heaven,  my  finite  soul  would  lose  its  fini- 
tude  and  be  one  with  Thee,  O  Christ.  My 
night  would  vanish  in  Thy  day,  my  sor- 
row would  melt  in  Thy  joy,  my  meanness 
would  merge  in  Thy  majesty,  my  sin  would 
be  lost  in  Thy  holiness.  The  veil  which 
hides  me  from  Thee  is  the  shadow  of  my 
own  will;  when  the  veil  of  the  temple  shall 
be  rent  in  twain  I  shall  see  the  place  where 
Thy  glory  dwelleth. 

SEPTEMBER  26 

Watchword:  "And  they  heard  the  voice  of  the  Lord 
God,  walking  in  the  garden,  in  the  cool  of  the 
day."— Gen.  iii.'S. 

It  is  only  in  the  cool  of  the  day  that  I 
can  hear  Thy  footsteps,  O  my  God.  The 
burden  and  heat  of  the  day  are  too  strong 
for  me.  The  struggles  of  life  excite  me, 
its  glitter  dazzles  me;  it  is  all  thunder,  and 
earthquake,  and  fire.  But  when  I  myself 
am  still,  I  catch  Thy  still  small  voice,  and 
then  I  know  that  Thou  art  God.  Thy  peace 
can  only  speak  to  my  peacefulness,  Thy 
rest  to  my  calm.  Let  me  hear  Thy  voice 
in  my  garden,  O  God,  in  the  cool  of  the  day. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  143 

SEPTEMBER  27 

Watchword :  "  Art  Thon  not  from  everlasting,  0  Lord, 
my  God  ...  we  shall  not  die."— Hab.  i.  12. 

Let  me  feel,  O  Christ,  that  I  am  already 
immortal ;  that  death  could  no  more  destroy 
my  life  than  it  could  destroy  Thine,  because 
mine  is  Thine.  When  the  shadows  of  the 
grave  seem  to  compass  me,  help  me  to  re- 
member, not  so  much  that  there  is  a  life 
above  as  that  there  is  a  life  within ;  help 
me  to  remember,  not  that  Thou  art  waiting 
for  me  across  the  valley,  but  that  Thou  art 
waiting  with  me  in  the  valley ;  then  shall 
the  rod  and  the  staff  of  my  comfort  be, 
"  Thou  art  from  everlasting,  therefore  I 
shall  not  die/' 

SEPTEMBER  28 

Watchword;  "  I  have  compassion  on  the  multitude." 
Mark  viii.  2. 

O  Thou  Son  of  Man,  in  Thy  religion 
alone  is  there  hope  for  those  who  toil. 
Thou  alone  of  all  masters  hast  sympathy 
with  the  needs  of  the  common  day,  with 
the  wants  of  the  passing  hour.  Thou  hast 
compassion  on  those  who  are  fasting  by  the 
way,  and  who  have  no  spiritual  vision  to 
break  their  fast.  Thou  hast  taken  up  the 
cross  of  them  that  labour,  and  hast  claimed 
it  for  Thine  own.  Thou  hast  identified 
Thine  interest  with  the  cry  of  struggling 
millions,  "  Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread." 


144  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

SEPTEMBER  29 

Watcliword  i  "  Be  sure  your  sin  will  find  you  out." 
Num.  xxxii.  23. 

O  Love  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory, 
whose  majesty  is  not  to  destroy,  but  to  save, 
save  me  from  myself.  Make  the  evil  I  have 
done  to  work  for  good,  so  that  I  myself 
would  not  know  it.  Overrule  the  acts  I  did 
in  malice ;  weave  them  into  Thy  Divine 
mosaic,  that  my  very  wrath  may  be  made 
to  praise  Thee.  Take  up  my  yesterdays 
into  Thine  own  golden  light,  and  trans- 
figure them  there,  that  I  may  learn  with 
joyful  surprise  how  even  against  my  will 
I  was  labouring  together  with  Thee ;  so 
shall  my  former  self  find  me  no  more. 

SEPTEMBER  30 

Watchword!  "Lest  I  should  be  exalted  above  measure 
through  the  abundance  of  the  revelations,  there  was 
given  to  me  a  thorn  in  the  flesh."— 2  Cor.  xii.  7. 

My  God,  I  have  never  thanked  Thee  for 
my  thorn.  I  have  thanked  Thee  a  thousand 
times  for  my  roses,  but  not  once  for  my 
thorn.  I  have  been  looking  forward  to  a 
world  where  I  shall  get  compensation  for 
my  cross,  but  I  have  never  thought  of  my 
cross  as  itself  a  present  glory.  Thou  Divine 
Love  whose  human  path  has  been  perfected 
through  sufferings,  teach  me  the  glory  of 
my  cross,  teach  me  the  value  of  my  thorn. 


OCTOBER  I 

Watchword !  "  Because  I  live  ye  shall  live  also." 
John  xiv.  19. 

Spirit  of  Christ,  Spirit  in  whose  breath 
I  live  and  move  and  have  my  being,  reveal 
day  by  day  the  power  of  Thy  presence 
within  me.  Reveal  to  me  that  the  power  of 
Thy  presence  is  the  power  of  my  resurrec- 
tion, the  certitude  of  my  immortality.  Teach 
me  that  my  immortality  is  not  to  come,  it 
is  here,  it  is  now.  Teach  me  that  the  life 
eternal  is  not  merely  the  life  beyond  the 
grave,  but  the  life  on  this  side  the  grave. 
Let  me  have  more  than  hope :  give  me  frui- 
tion, O  Lord. 

OCTOBER  2 

"Watchword !  "  It  is  a  fearful  thing  to  fall  into  the  hands 
of  the  living  God."— Heb.  x.  31. 

O  God,  Thou  living  God,  let  me  fall  into 
Thy  hands ;  it  is  only  in  Thy  hands  that  I 
can  be  perfectly  safe.  I  know  that  to  fall 
into  Thy  hands  is  indeed  a  fearful  thing ; 
I  know  that  it  is  the  beginning  of  all  my 
responsibilites.  In  Thy  hands  I  shall  learn 
the  awfulness  of  my  spiritual  being,  in  Thy 
hands  I  shall  learn  how  little  it  has  fulfilled 
its  destiny.  Nevertheless  it  is  in  Thy  hands 
alone  that  I  would  be ;  to  be  out  of  Thy 
hands  is  to  be  dead.  So  take  me  into  Thy 
hands  and  hold  me  with  Thy  fear. 


146  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

OCTOBER  3 

Watchword!  "  To  reveal  His  Son  in  me."— Gal.  i.  i6. 
My  God,  reveal  Thy  Son  in  me.  I  ask 
for  more  than  an  audible  voice,  because  I 
need  more.  No  description  of  Thy  heavens 
could  declare  their  glory  to  the  born  blind ; 
no  description  of  Thy  Christ  could  mani- 
fest His  greatness  to  a  loveless  soul.  There- 
fore, O  Spirit  of  Love,  breathe  into  this 
heart  the  new  sensation  of  loving,  the  new 
experience  of  being  loved.  Only  they  who 
are  rooted  and  grounded  in  love  shall  be 
able  to  comprehend  that  love  of  Thine, 
which,  although  familiar  to  all  saints,  pass- 
eth  finite  knowledge. 

OCTOBER  4 

Watchword!  "It  is  good  for  me  that  I  have  heen 
afflicted."— PsA.  cxix.  71. 

Thou  Divine  Love  whose  human  path  has 
been  perfected  by  sufferings,  show  me  that 
I  have  climbed  to  Thee  by  the  path  of  pain. 
Show  me  that  my  tears  have  made  my  rain- 
bow. Reveal  to  me  that  my  strength  was 
the  product  of  that  hour  when  I  wrestled 
until  the  breaking  of  the  day.  Then  shall  I 
know  that  my  cross  was  a  gift  from  Thee, 
and  I  shall  raise  a  monument  to  my  hour 
of  sorrow,  and  the  words  which  I  shall 
write  upon  it  will  be  these,  "  It  was  good 
for  me  to  have  been  afflicted." 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  147 

OCTOBER  5 

Watchword ;  "  Therefore  doth  the  Father  love  me  be- 
cause I  lay  do"wn  my  life.  No  man  taketh  it  from 
me.    I  have  power  to  lay  it  down."— John  x.  17,  18. 

Oh  !  strength  perfected  in  weakness.  Oh  ! 
self-surrendering  power  of  love — we,  like 
the  Father,  yield  our  hearts  to  Thee.  If  it 
had  been  mere  resignation  to  death  we  could 
have  admired  Thee.  If  it  had  been  mere 
distaste  for  life  we  could  have  pitied  Thee; 
but  since  it  is  the  choice  of  love,  we  love 
Thee.  We  magnify  the  power  that  could 
relinquish  power,  the  will  that  could  resign 
will.  We  gaze  on  Thee  till  we  shall  catch 
Thine  impress,  till  we  shall  say,  not  with 
resignation,  but  with  acquiescence,  "  Thy 
will  be  done."  When  we  shall  have  power 
to  lay  down  our  life  we  shall  have  power 
to  take  it  again. 

OCTOBER  6 

Watchword:  "I  have  chosen  thee  in  the  furnace  of 
affliction."— ISA.  xlviii.  10. 

O  Thou  Divine  Love  that  passeth  the 
power  of  all  human  love  to  comprehend 
Thee,  I  accept  Thy  glorious  offer  of  union 
with  my  nothingness.  I  come  to  Thee  just 
as  I  am,  as  Thou  hast  chosen  me.  I  seek 
Thee  without  waiting  for  the  ornaments  of 
life,  knowing  that  when  Thou  shalt  receive 
me  Thou  shalt  adorn  me  with  the  gems  of 
heaven. 


148  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

OCTOBER  7 
Watchword :  "  I  delight  to  do  Thy  will,  0  my  God." 

PSA.  xl.  8. 

Son  of  Man,  Thou  who  hast  ushered  in 
this  day  of  painless  worship,  help  me  to 
enter  into  Thy  joy.  Reveal  to  me  that  my 
sacrifice  is  never  perfect  in  my  Father's 
sight  until  in  the  view  of  my  spirit  it  is  a 
sacrifice  no  more.  Then  shall  I  know  what 
it  is  to  be  made  conformable  unto  Thy 
death,  I  shall  learn  that  dying  is  life,  that 
perfect  sacrifice  is  fulness  of  joy.  Former 
things  shall  have  passed  away  when  through 
Thy  Spirit  I  shall  be  able  to  say,  "  I  de- 
light to  do  Thy  will,  O  my  God." 

OCTOBER  8 

Watchword :  "  Thou  hast  heset  me  hehind  and  before, 
and  laid  Thine  hand  upon  me."— Psa.  cxxxix.  5. 
In  three   directions  hast  Thou  beset  me, 

0  God.  Thou  art  behind  me.  Thou  art  be- 
fore me.  Thou  art  in  contact  with  me. 
In  all  these  relations  I  need  Thee  every  day. 

1  want  rest  for  my  threefold  self — rest  in 
Thee.  Beset  my  dark  past  with  Thy  pres- 
ence ;  take  up  its  clouds  and  turn  them  into 
sunshine.  Beset  my  shadowy  future  with 
Thy  glory;  reveal  the  rainbow  of  Thy 
promise  to  the  eye  of  faith.  Beset  my  ardu- 
ous present  with  the  sense  of  Thy  near- 
ness; let  me  feel  laid  on  me  the  pressure 
of  Thy  hand. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  149 

.OCTOBER  9 

Watchword !  "  And  I  will  give  him  the  morning  star." 
Rev.  ii.  28. 

My  God,  give  me  back  my  youth ;  I  can 
regain  it  in  Thee.  Thou  hast  promised  us 
eternal  life,  but  what  is  that?  Not  merely 
life  for  ever,  but  life  for  ever  young.  Thine 
eternal  life  can  make  a  child  again,  a  child 
without  childishness.  O  Thou  on  whose 
bloom  time  breathes  not,  bathe  me  in  those 
fountains  of  the  morning  whence  Thou  hast 
the  dew  of  Thy  youth.  Then  shall  I  have 
the  bright  and  morning  star,  I  shall  see 
the  glory  of  life  when  Thy  morning  is  in 
my  soul. 

OCTOBER  10 

Watchword!  "But  if  we  walk  in  the  light  as  He  is  in 
the  light,  we  have  fellowship  one  with  another."— 
I  John  i.  7. 

O  Light  that  lightest  every  man,  come 
into  this  heart  of  mine,  that  in  Thy  radi- 
ance I  may  have  Thy  power  of  fellowship. 
I  am  weary  of  my  own  narrowness,  I  am 
tired  of  my  own  isolation :  I  long  to  be  able, 
like  Thee,  to  break  through  the  limits  that 
debar  me  from  the  life  of  my  brother.  I 
long  to  be  able,  like  Thee,  to  touch  im- 
purity without  stain,  to  shine  in  darkness 
without  receiving  its  shadow.  Only  in 
Thee  shall  that  power  be  mine,  therefore  I 
wait  for  Thy  coming. 


I50  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

OCTOBER  II 

Watchword!  "A  new   name   written,  whicli  no   man 
knoweth  saving  he  that  receiveth  it."— Rev.  ii.  17. 

O  Divine  Peace,  that  art  a  contradiction 
to  them  that  know  Thee  not,  and  a  secret 
even  to  them  that  know  Thee,  let  me  be  a 
sharer  in  Thy  power.  Let  me  be  content  to 
be  a  secret  unto  myself,  a  wonder  to  the 
law  of  my  own  being.  Let  me  know  what 
it  is  to  have  the  incomprehensible  joy,  the 
unexplainable  rest,  the  stillness  that  can- 
not be  stirred  though  the  earth  be  removed. 
Let  me  experience  the  Divine  sleep  in  the 
midst  of  the  waves;  so  shall  I  learn  what 
it  is  to  possess  the  secret  of  the  Lord. 

OCTOBER  12 

Watchword ;  "  And  in  the  morning,  then  ye  shall  see  the 
glory  of  the  Lord."— Exod.  xvi.  7. 

It  is  in  the  morning  of  life,  O  Lord,  that 
I  see  Thy  glory.  In  the  mid-day  I  see  Thy 
helpfulness;  Thou  art  then  to  me  a  refuge 
from  the  burden  and  the  heat.  In  the  even- 
ing I  see  Thy  faithfulness.  But  the  morn- 
ing is  the  season  of  my  implicit  trust.  I 
trust  Thee  as  the  lark  trusts  the  morning 
air  into  which  it  soars  and  through  which 
it  sings.  I  trust  Thee  without  experience, 
before  trial,  irrespective  of  argument,  in 
defiance  of  difficulty.  There  is  no  vision 
but  the  brightness  of  Thy  face. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  151 

OCTOBER  13 

Watchword !  "  Add  to  brotherly  kindness,  love."    - 
2  Pet.  i.  7. 

Breathe  into  my  heart,  O  Love  Divine, 
the  breath  of  Thine  own  life,  that  my  life 
may  be  no  longer  my  own.  Inspire  me  with 
the  glory  of  Thy  cross,  the  joy  of  bearing 
the  burdens  of  the  world's  weak  ones.  Lay 
upon  me  that  yoke  of  Thine  which  is  easy 
because  it  kills  all  selfish  care,  the  yoke  of 
humanity,  the  care  for  other  souls.  When 
I  have  reached  the  power  of  universal 
charity,  I  shall  be  made  divine  in  Thee. 

OCTOBER  14 

Watchword !  "  That  ye  might  be  filled  with  all  the  ful- 
ness of  God."-EPH.iii.  19. 

O  Love  that  passeth  knowledge,  come 
into  my  heart  with  all  Thy  fulness,  that 
my  heart  may  be  made  gentle  with  Thy 
gentleness.  Without  Thee  I  have  no  humil- 
ity, because  I  have  no  burden ;  I  live  for 
myself,  because  I  have  no  thought  beyond 
self.  But  when  Thou  shalt  come  in,  I  shall 
cease  to  be  my  own.  I  shall  become  heir 
to  the  sins  and  sorrows  of  the  vast  world, 
I  shall  take  up  the  crosses  of  the  labouring 
and  the  heavy-laden.  When  I  am  filled  with 
Thee,  I  shall  be  emptied  of  all  pride.  In 
Thy  fulness  shall  I  awake  to  a  sense  of  my 
own  nothingness  :  I  shall  become  the  servant 
of  humanity  when  Thou  shalt  fill  my  soul. 


152  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

OCTOBER  15 

Watchword:  "  When  the  unclean  spirit  is  gone  ont  of  a 
man,  he  walketh  through  dry  places,  seeking  rest, 
and  findeth  none."— Matt.  xii.  43. 

O  Love  that  art  the  recompense  for  every 
loss,  send  into  my  heart  the  well-spring  of 
Thy  joy,  to  gladden  with  its  healing  waters 
the  places  that  have  been  left  dry.  Fill  up 
the  solitudes  of  that  spirit  which  has  been 
emptied  of  its  old  treasures.  Change  the 
struggle  of  my  dawn  into  the  spontaneity  of 
a  second  day.  Let  law  become  grace,  duty 
become  privilege,  work  become  play,  sacri- 
fice become  joy.  When  I  shall  exchange 
the  spirit  of  heaviness  for  the  garment  of 
praise,  the  old  house  shall  be  empty  no 
more. 

OCTOBER  16 

Watchword:  "Father,  into  Thy  hands  I  commend  my 
spirit."— Luke  xxiii.  46. 

Help    me   too,    my   Father,   through    His 

Spirit  to  yield  Thee  my  spirit.     Let  me  not 

wait  to  yield  it  till  a  dying  hour.     Give  me 

the  power  of  death  in  the  midst  of  life,  the 

surrender   of  the   will   amid   the   haunts   of 

men.     In  the  scenes  of  busy  labour,  in  the 

struggles  for  daily  bread,  in  the  hours  of 

silent  trouble,  in  sickness  and  in  health,  in 

poverty  and  in  abundance,  help  me  to  yield 

my   soul   to   Thee   and   say,    "  Father,   into 

Thy  hands  I  commend  my  Spirit." 


DAY  <JNTO  DAY  i53 


OCTOBER  17 

WatchwoTd!  "  And  when  they  tad  lifted  up  their  eyes 
they  saw  no  man  save  Jesus  only  ."—Matt,  xvn,  8. 
O  Son  of  Man,  may  Thy  image  ever  be 
thus  peerless  in  my  heart.  May  Thy  pres- 
ence fill  all  things,  so  as  to  leave  no  room 
for  any  other  presence.  In  all  the  forms  of 
nature,  in  all  the  events  of  life,  I  would  see 
Thee,  and  Thee  only.  In  all  beauty  I  would 
behold  the  reflex  of  Thy  beauty ;  in  all  love 
I  would  trace  the  impress  of  Thy  love.  I 
would  be  nearer  to  Thee  every  day,  every 
hour,  every  moment,  for  it  is  only  in  being 
near  to  Thee  that  I  shall  learn  how  far  off 
I  am  following  Thee,  how  infinitely  Thou 
transcendest  me.  When  I  have  beheld  the 
summit   of   the   mount,    I    shall    find   there 

none  but  Thee. 

OCTOBER  18 

Watchword!  "  And  when  He  had  given  thanks  Hehrake 
it  and  said,  This  is  my  body  which  is  broken  for 
yon."— T  COR.  xi.  24. 

Let  me  realise,  O  Christ,  that  which  Thou 
hast  broken  for  me  is  more  than  the  bread; 
it  is  Thine  own  spirit.  Give  me  that  spirit 
of  Thine  to  break  for  my  brother  man. 
Help  me  to  lose  myself  for  him,  to  forget 
myself  in  him.  Let  me  be  so  identified  with 
him,  that  there  shall  be  one  common  cross 
between  us,  one  common  load  to  bear ;  then 
shall  I  break  for  him  the  bread  Thou  hast 
broken  for  me. 


154  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

OCTOBER  19 

"Watchword!  "For  therein  is  the  righteousness  of  God 
revealed  from  faith  to  faith."— Rom.  i.  17. 

O  Son  of  Man,  Son  of  God,  let  me  as- 
cend on  steps  of  Thee.  Let  me  rise  through 
the  stages  of  Thy  life  from  faith  to  faith. 
Give  me  the  faith  that  can  wait  in  obscur- 
ity amid  the  trivial  duties  of  the  home  life. 
Give  me  the  faith  that  can  dedicate  itself 
amid  the  vision  of  an  opened  heaven.  Give 
me  the  faith  that  can  stand  on  the  mount  of 
temptation,  and  see  the  kingdoms  of  the 
world,  and  say  "  Thee  only  shall  I  serve." 
Give  me  the  faith  that  can  enter  within  the 
shadows  of  Gethsemane,  and  into  that 
deeper  darkness  still,  the  portals  of  the 
grave,  and  can  still  sing  with  loud  voice, 
"O  death,  where  is  thy  sting?  O  grave, 
where  is  thy  victory?" 

OCTOBER  20 

Watchword :  "  The  glory  of  the  Lord  shall  be  thy  rear- 
ward."—ISA.lviii.  8. 

Be  thou  my  rearward,  O  my  God.     My 

past  relentlessly  pursues  me.     Days  that  I 

thought  dead  live  over  again,  deeds  that  I 

deemed  buried  meet  me  on  the  way.     Fill 

up  that  which  my  life  has  left  behind,  undo 

that  which  my  life  has  done  amiss.     Repair 

the  places  I  have  wasted,  bind  the  hearts  I 

have  wounded,  dry  the  eyes  I  have  flooded. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  155 

OCTOBER  21 

"Watchword ;  "  Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door  and  knock." 
Rev.  iii.  20. 

O  Thou  Divine  Spirit,  who  in  all  the 
events  of  life  art  knocking  at  the  door  of 
my  heart,  help  me  to  respond  to  Thee.  I 
would  not  be  made  to  work  out  Thy  will 
vmwillingly,  to  obey  Thy  mandates  unsym- 
pathetically.  I  would  have  my  heart  open 
at  all  times  to  receive  Thee.  Whether  Thou 
comest  in  sunshine  or  rain,  I  would  take 
Thee  into  my  heart  joyfully.  It  is  Thee 
and  not  Thy  gifts  I  crave;  knock,  and  I 
shall   open   unto   Thee. 

OCTOBER  22 

Watchword :  "  Bringeth  forth  his  fruit  in  his  season," 
PSA.  i.  3. 

O  Thou  that  hast  revealed  the  order  of 
Thine  acceptable  year,  reveal  in  my  experi- 
ence the  stages  of  that  year.  When  I  feel 
the  sense  of  night,  let  me  accept  it  as  the 
token  that  I  am  coming  to  Thee.  When  I 
feel  the  sense  of  hope,  let  me  accept  it  as 
sign  that  I  am  called  by  Thee.  When  1 
feel  the  sense  of  warmth,  let  me  accept  it 
as  evidence  that  I  rest  on  Thee.  When  I 
feel  the  sense  of  power,  and  am  inspired  to 
gather  in  the  fruits,  let  me  take  it  as  pledge 
that  I  am  bidden  to  work  for  Thee.  So 
shall  my  year  be  rounded,  hallowed,  per- 
fected with  Thee, 


^56  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

OCTOBER  23 

O  Thou  Divine  Love,  that  hast  revealed 
to    me    the    infinite    possibilities    of    loving 
make   me   a   share   in    Thy  life.      Much   of 
what  I  call  my  love  is  but  disguised  selfish- 
ness     I  seek  others  because  I   find  myself 
in  them.     My  heart  goes  out  to  the  hearts 
that  go  out  to  me,  my  sympathy  expands 
to  the   sympathies  that  agree   with   me      I 
want  more  than  that.     I  want  kindness  for 
the   unbrotherly,    sympathy   for   the   erring 
tenderness  for  the  fallen,  love  for  the  lost^ 
in   Ihee,  m  Thee  alone,  shall  I  find  them. 

OCTOBER  24 

Watchword: ''So  He  took  the  seven  loaves  and  the 
fishes,  and  gave  thanks,  and  brake  them,  and  gave 

Lord,  make  me  one  of  Thy  secondary 
causes.  I  would  serve  Thee  voluntarily, 
freely,  designedly.  I  would  be  the  con- 
scious distributor  of  Thy  bread  to  the  fam- 
ished crowd.  I  would  receive  from  Thee 
Ihy  own  spirit  of  sacrifice-Thy  life  broken 
by  love.  I  would  receive  from  Thee  Thy 
Divinest  gift-^the  power  and  the  will  to 
give.  Help  me  to  give  to  others  what  Thou 
hast  given  to  me— Thyself. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  157 


OCTOBER  25 

Watchword!  "He  saved   others'.   Himself  He   caanot 
save."— Matt,  xxvii.  42. 

O  strong  Son  of  God,  whose  strength  was 
to  say,  ''  I  cannot  save  myself,"  be  thai 
strength  also  mine.  Make  me  strong  to 
bear  the  cross,  to  endure  contradiction 
against  myself,  to  prefer  the  narrow  path 
of  duty  to  the  kingdoms  of  the  world  and 
their  glory.  Make  me  strong  to  trample 
self  under  my  feet,  to  surrender  my  will  to 
Thy  will,  to  yield  up  my  spirit  to  the  cruci- 
fying hand  of  love ;  then  shall  I  know  what 
that  saying  meaneth,  "  The  power  of  God 
unto  salvation." 

OCTOBER  26 

Watchword  i  "  Whither  shall  I  flee  from  Thy  presence  ?  " 
PSA.  cxxxix,  7. 

All-pervading  Divine  Spirit,  impress  me 
with  Thine  own  all-pervadingness.  Teach 
me  that  Thou  art  not  in  one  place  more 
than  another.  Teach  me  that  I  cannot  flee 
from  Thy  presence,  that  Thou  art  with  me 
— in  the  common  toil  of  Nazareth,  and  in 
the  silent  solitudes  of  the  wilderness.  So 
in  the  sense  of  Thy  continual  presence  shall 
my  way  be  uniformly  great.  All  life  shall 
be  alike  solemn  when  I  have  learned  that  I 
am  ever  with  Thee.  I  shall  cease  to  live  by  the 
impressions  of  the  hour  when  every  breath 
of  my  being  comes  to  me  as  a  gift  Divine. 


158  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

OCTOBER  27 

Watchword!  "  By  a  new  and  living  way."— Keb.  x.  20= 

My  Father,  shall  I  offer  Thee  only  my 
last  hours?  Teach  me  Thy  living  way.. 
Teach  me  the  life  of  Him  who  offered  up 
His  soul  from  dawn  to  dark  unceasingly, 
who  poured  out  on  life's  altar  His  child- 
hood, His  youth,  His  manhood,  who  gave 
Thee  in  turn  His  Bethlehem,  His  Nazareth, 
His  Calvary.  Help  me  to  climb  with  Him 
the  living  way. 

OCTOBER  28 

Watchword :  "  One  thing  I  have  desired  of  the  Lord 
.  .  .  that  I  may  dwell  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  all 
the  days  of  my  life,  to  behold  the  beauty  of  the 
Lord."— PsA.  xxvii.  4. 

O  Thou  who  art  fairer  than  the  children 
of  men,  suffer  me  before  all  things  to  feast 
my  eyes  on  Thee.  Clouds  and  darkness  are 
still  round  about  my  intellect,  but  if  Thou 
shalt  open  the  eyes  of  my  heart  I  shall  be 
independent  of  this.  If  Thou  shalt  suffer 
me  to  gaze  on  Thy  beauty,  I  shall  have  Thy 
light  in  anticipation  of  Thy  truth,  and  in 
the  strength  of  that  light  I  shall  go  unto 
Thine  altar  with  exceeding  joy.  I  shall 
both  hear  Thee  and  ask  Thee  questions 
when  I  have  caught  a  vision  of  Thyself ; 
when  I  have  beheld  Thy  beauty  I  shall 
enquire  in  Thy  tabernacle. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  159 


^^^^^y  -    OCTOBER  29  -  I  for. 

Watchword :  "  Ye  are  not  your  own,  ye  are  bonglit  with 
a  price."— 1  Cok.  vi.  19,  20. 
Impress  me,  O  Lord,  with  the  magnitude, 
with  the  solemnity,  with  the  awfulness  of 
being  a  man.  Teach  me,  indeed,  that  I  am 
not  my  own,  that  I  live  not  to  myself,  that 
I  die  not  to  myself.  Lay  on  me  the  weight 
of  moral  obligation.  Lay  on  me  the  weight 
of  feeling  and  knowing  that  I  am  a  re- 
sponsible human  soul.  Let  me  hear  the 
voice  of  conscience,  "  You  ought,  there,- 
fore  y_ou_  caii,"  Fill  me  with  a  sense  of 
universal  care,  that  I  may  be  rendered  indi- 
vidually strong. 

OCTOBER  30 

Watchword ;  "  Call  to  remembrance  the  former  days,  in 
which,  after  ye  were  illuminated,  ye  endured  a  great 
figlit  of  afaictions."— HEB.  x.  32. 
O  Thou  Spirit  of  Light,  I  wait  for  Thee. 
I  wait  for  Thee,  knowing  that  when  Thou 
comest  Thou  shalt  come  with  a  gift  in  Thy 
Hand,  which  the  world  would  rather  want 
— the  gift  of  pain.  I  know  that  when  Thy 
light  shall  rise  within  me  the  joy  of  the 
new  vision  shall  be  chequered  by  the  sight 
of  the  old  corruption.  But  I  would  rather 
have  Thy  presence  with  the  pain  than  Thy 
absence  without  it.  Come  into  my  heart 
with  Thy  Divine  fire,  that  all  its  base  alloy 
may  be  purified.  I  will  fight  the  fight  of 
faith  when  Thy  glory  is  risen  upon  me. 


i6o  DAY  UNTO  DAY 


OCTOBER  31 

Watchword :  "  Hitherto  hatli  the  Lord  helped  me." 
I  Sam.  vii.  12. 

My  Father,  I  am  ever  seeking  from  Thee 
a  new  revelation,  and  I  am  ever  saying 
that  Thou  art  silent.  Yet  it  is  only  my  own 
heart  that  is  silent.  I  am  seeking  Thy  reve- 
lation in  the  wrong  direction ;  I  am  asking 
it  from  my  future,  and  lo !  it  is  coming 
from  my  past.  The  vision  of  my  past  is  not 
a  vision  of  old  things ;  they  are  all  renewed 
in  the  light  of  retrospect.  The  newest  of 
all  revelations  is  the  light  of  my  past  when 
seen  in  Thee.  Crosses  that  pressed  upon 
me  in  wandering  through  the  wilderness 
are  seen  from  the  promised  land  to  have 
been  exceeding  weights  of  glory,  and  it  is 
with  a  cry  of  surprise  that  I  exclaim, 
''  Hitherto  hath  the  Lord  helped  me." 


NOVEMBER  i 

Watchword  i  "  The  Lord  God  formed  every  beast  of  the 
field,  and  hrought  them  to  Adam  to  see  what  he 
would  call  them,"— Gen.  ii.  iq. 
Dost  Thou  test  like  an  earthly  father,  O 
my  Father  in  heaven,  the  intellect  of  Thy 
child  ?  Dost  Thou  leave  me  a  moment  to 
myself,  to  give  a  name  to  that  which  I  see, 
to  call  that  which  is  good,  good,  and  that 
which  is  evil,  evil?  Happy  shall  I  be  if 
Thou,  O  Lord,  wilt  accept  my  name  for 
things — happy  if  Thou  dost  agree  with  me 
in  the  reading  of  the  works  of  Thy  hands. 
Then  verily  shall  I  be  a  prophet  of  nature, 
an  interpreter  of  God,  for  when  I  have 
found  the  true  names  for  the  objects  of  cre- 
ation, I  shall  be  very  near  to  pronouncing 
that  Name  which  is  unspeakable. 

NOVEMBER  2 

Watchword !  "  To  one  is  given  by  the  Spirit  the  word  of 
wisdom."— I  CoR.  xii.  8. 

Spirit  of  Christ,  help  me  to  speak  to  my 
brother  the  word  of  wise  counsel.  It  will 
never  be  wise  till  it  is  tender,  and  it  will 
never  be  tender  until  it  is  prompted  by  Thee. 
Enable  me  before  I  speak  to  clothe  myself 
in  his  circumstances.  Then  shall  my  coun- 
sel be  tender  because  it  is  timely.  It  shall 
be  as  Thy  voice  was  of  old  to  the  victims 
of  their  own  sin.  It  shall  say,  "  Thy  sins 
be  forgiven  thee,"  ere  it  shall  consent  to 
say,  "  Go,  and  sin  no  more." 

161 


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i62  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

NOVEMBER  3 

Watchword!  "  Grod  be  merciful  to  me,  a  sinner." 
Luke  xviii.  13. 

My  Father,  it  was  but  yesterday  that  I 
strutted  through  the  temple,  and  cried, 
**  Lord,  I  thank  Thee  that  I  am  not  as  other 
men  " ;  to-day  I  beat  upon  my  breast  and 
say,  "  Unclean,  unclean !  Lord,  be  merci- 
ful to  me,  a  sinner."  And  yet  I  am  nearer 
to  Thee  now  than  I  was  then ;  I  would  not 
go  back  to  yesterday.  It  is  light  and  not 
darkness  that  reveals  my  distance  from 
Thee.  It  is  the  rise  of  the  Star  of  Beth- 
lehem that  tells  me  Thou  art  in  advance  of 
me,  going  on  before.  It  is  the  height  of  my 
new  ideal  which  prevents  me  from  being 
satisfied;  it  is  the  jealousy  of  my  enlarging 
love  that  will  not  let  me  say,  ''  Well  done." 

NOVEMBER  4 

Watchword  i  "  Even  the  darkness  hideth  not  from  Thee," 
PsA.  cxxxix.  12. 

O  Thou  who  travellest  on  the  wings  of 
the  morning,  in  the  uttermost  parts  of  the 
sea,  I  find  Thee.  If  I  say  of  any  spot, 
"  Surely  here  the  darkness  will  cover  me," 
behold !  behind  the  curtain  I  meet  Thee. 
We  do  not  shut  Thee  out  by  shutting  the 
gates  on  Thee ;  Thou  canst  enter  through 
closed  doors.  Thy  rays  are  Rontgen  rays ; 
they  pass  through  my  fleshly  barriers,  they 
detect  my  secret  wounds. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  163 

NOVEMBER  5 

Watchword:  "Holdfast  ...  the  rejoicing  of  the  hope 
fimuiitotheend."-HEB.  ill.  6. 

Be  mine,  then,  the  wings  for  to-morrow, 
O  my  God.    If  I  get  first  the  wmgs  for  to- 
morrow.  I   shall  then  be  able  to  go  back. 
Memory   cannot  bring  hope,  but  hope   can 
adorn    memory-even    dark    memory        ii 
Thon  art  preparing  me  for  a  heaven  ot  sac- 
rificial love,  these  toils,  these  pains,  are  al- 
ready justified.     When  I  look  through    he 
crvstal  bars  of  Thy  city,  and  see  that  the 
Cross  is  the  crown  thereof,  I  ^^^ferstand  it 
all.    I  understand  why  drops  of  blood  have 

strewn  life's  garden..  ^..^.^^r-o  a 

NOVEMBER  6 

Watchword :  "  Por  through  Him  we  hoth  have  access  hy 
one  Spirit  nnto  the  rather."-EPH.  u.  i8. 
Snirit  of  the  cross,  let  our  rival  sects  and 
parties  be   united  in   Thee.     We   are  post- 
conino-  our   union  until   we   come  into   the 
unity  "of  the  faith;  that  is  not  Thy  method. 
Thou  callest  us  to  the  unity  of  love-love 
independent     of    contrary     opmions.       My 
brother  and  I  cannot  agree  about  the  name 
we  should  give  to  Thy  fight;  may  we  not 
shake  hands  without   such  agreement?     Is 
not  Thy  light  beautiful  called  by  any  name, 
called  by  no  name?     We  are  agreed  about 
Thy    beauty,    and    about   the    love    of    ihy 
beauty ;  unite  us  in  that  love. 


i64  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

NOVEMBER  7 

Watchword  i  "  And  he  (Aaron)  stood  between  the  dead 
and  the  living,  and  the  plague  was  stayed."— Num. 
xvi.  48. 

Endow  me,  O  Lord,  with  the  priestly 
spirit ;  consecrate  me  to  the  service  of  Thy 
tabernacle.  Help  me  to  take  my  place  with 
the  stricken  sons  of  the  wilderness.  I  do 
not  ask  to  be  enabled  to  pray  for  them  on 
the  height ;  let  me  come  down  from  the 
height.  Let  me  stand  in  the  scene  of  the 
pestilence.  Let  me  meet  the  fallen  in  their 
own  valley,  the  desolate  in  their  own  ruin, 
the  wandered  in  their  own  night.  Then  shall 
I  be  in  truth  one  of  Thy  royal  priesthood. 

NOVEMBER  8 

Watchword!  "The  whole  creation  groaneth  and  tra- 
vaileth  in  pain  together."--ROM.  viii.  22. 

There  are  wants  in  beast  and  bird  which 
to  me  are  no  mysteries,  for  they  are  my 
own.  Give  me  fellowship  with  these,  O  my 
Father.  Extend  my  philanthropy  down- 
ward. Let  me  enter  into  sympathy  with 
their  hunger,  their  thirst,  their  weariness, 
their  frequent  homelessness.  Let  me  re- 
member them  in  the  struggles  of  the  forest. 
Let  me  remember  them  in  the  winter's  frost 
and  snow.  Let  me  be  to  them  what  Thou 
hast  been  to  me — a  protector,  a  Providence. 
I  shall  be  worthy  to  have  Thy  dominion 
when  I  have  reached  Thy  image. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  165 

NOVEMBER  9 

Watchword :    "  Let    both    grow    together    until  the 
harvest,"— Matt.  xiii.  30. 

I  thank  Thee,  O  Father,  that  Thou  hast 
sown  the  wheat  before  Thou  hast  plucked 
up  the  tares.  My  aspirations  come  sooner 
than  my  deeds.  Long  before  I  am  good  I 
have  longings  after  goodness.  Thou  ac- 
ceptest  me  for  these  longings,  O  my  God. 
Thou  callest  my  life  a  garden  while  it  is 
yet  a  wilderness;  I  am  justified  by  faith, 
by  mere  aspirations,  ere  I  have  done  a 
single  good  work ;  there  is  always  the  wish 
of  my  heart  for  better  things. 

NOVEMBER  10 

Watchword :  "  And  now  shall  my  head  be  lifted  up  above 
mine  enemies  round  about  them."— Psa.  xxvii.  6. 
Lead  me,  O  my  Father,  still  further  to 
the  rest  of  the  mount.  It  Is  not  the  rose- 
coloured  rest  of  the  pavilion,  but  it  is  bet- 
ter. It  admits  other  colours  than  the  rose ; 
it  brings  in  the  whole  rainbow.  It  tells  me 
that  youth  is  not  the  only  fire  that  can 
kindle  the  flower.  It  tells  me  that  there  is 
a  peace  passing  knowledge,  that  can  come 
through  knowledge.  Lead  me  to  the  rest 
that  lies  beyond  the  rock.  Let  me  compre- 
hend Thy  order  for  my  life,  the  pavilion, 
the  rock,  and  the  mount.  When  Thou  hast 
lifted  up  my  head  above  mine  enemies,  I 
shall  not  need  the  secret  of  Thy  pavilion. 


1 66  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

NOVEMBER  ii 

Watcliword ;  "  If  a  man  be  overtaken  in  a  fault,  restore 
him  in  a  spirit  of  meekness."— Gal.  vi.  i. 

Often  have  I  thought  of  these  words,  O 
Lord.  I  have  seen  those  who  would  re- 
store in  the  spirit  of  pride ;  they  speak  to 
the  fallen,  but  they  speak  from  the  moun- 
tain-top. Not  thus  would  I  restore,  O 
Lord.  I  would  come  with  Thy  Christ  down 
from  my  heaven  ;  I  would  empty  myself  with 
Him.  Let  me  wrap  myself  in  the  humble 
garments  of  a  child  of  earth.  Teach  me 
that  for  the  healing  of  a  soul  there  is  more 
virtue  in  the  touch  than  in  the  ointment. 
Let  the  touch  precede  the  text ;  let  the  pity 
precede  the  precept ;  let  the  brotherhood 
with  man  even  precede  the  breath  of  God. 

NOVEMBER  12 

Watchword  i  "  Jesns  of  Nazareth  passeth  hy," 
Luke  xviii.  37. 

Son  of  Man,  Thou  hast  robbed  me  of  my 
glory.  Before  I  saw  Thee  I  was  proud  of 
my  past  works ;  my  ideal  was  low,  and  I 
was  easily  satisfied.  But  one  day  it  was 
said  to  me,  "  Jesus  of  Nazareth  passeth 
by,"  and  I  went  out  to  see  Thee.  I  saw 
Thee  by  that  vision  of  the  soul  which  men 
call  faith,  and  that  instant  I  died.  I  fell  to 
the  earth  broken  and  blinded,  and  the  rags 
of  my  self-righteousness  were  consumed 
by  the  brightness  of  Thy  coming. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  167 

NOVEMBER  13 

Watchword;  "Shall  I  not  spare  Nineveh,  that  great 
city?"— Jonah  iv.  n. 

Teach  me,  O  Father,  that  Thou  claimest 
all  prayers  as  prayers  to  Thee.  I  see  the 
men  of  Nineveh  adoring  inferior  things  and 
I  cry,  "  These  are  idolaters."  But  Thou 
sayest,  "  Inasmuch  as  they  did  it  unto  the 
least,  they  have  done  it  unto  Me."  Often 
have  I  thought  of  these  words  of  Thine, 
"  Shall  I  not  spare  Nineveh,  in  v/hich  are 
more  than  six  thousand  infants,  and  mtich 
cattle  ?  "  I  think  I  understand  their  mean- 
ing. It  is  that  even  the  unspoken  cry  of 
the  infant  has  to  Thee  the  import  of  a 
prayer. 

NOVEMBER  14 

Watchword !  "For  in  the  time  of  trouble  He  shall  hide 
me  in  His  pavilion,"— Psa.  xxvii.  5. 

O  my  Father,  lead  me  through  this  path 
of  Thine.  Give  me  Thy  pavilion  in  life's 
morning.  Hide  from  my  opening  eye  the 
storms  of  this  world.  Let  me  start  with  a 
vision  of  its  beauty  alone.  And  yet  I  would 
not  always  dwell  within  Thy  hiding-place. 
Bring  me  in  time  from  the  pavilion  to  the 
rock.  I  would  know  life  as  it  is  by  and  by. 
I  would  meet  its  clouds,  brave  its  storms, 
breast  its  billows.  I  would  not  have  men 
say,  "It  was  easy  for  him  to  live ;  he  was 
hid  all  his  life  within  a  pavilion." 


i68  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

NOVEMBER  15 

Watchword  ;  "  He  shall  set  me  upon  a  rock." 
PSA.  xxvii.  5. 

After  the  pavilion  lead  me  to  the   rock, 

0  my  Father.  When  I  have  seen  the  world 
in  rose  colours  for  a  little  while  I  would 
stand  upon  a  rock  and  buffet  the  waves. 
But  neither  would  I  end  here,  O  my 
Father.  I  know  that  there  is  a  last  state 
resembling  the  first.  There  is  a  haven 
where  men  repose,  not  by  hiding,  but  by 
conquering.     Lead  me  to  that  rest, 

NOVEMBER  16 

Watchword!  "  Balaam,  the  son  of  Beor,  saith  .  .  ." 
Num.  xxiv.  15. 

O  Thou  who  hast  never  left  Thyself 
without  a  witness  in  any  land,  let  me  not 
narrow  the  range  of  Thy  Spirit.  Let  me 
not  say  that  Thy  voice  can  only  reach  the 
members  of  the  Church  visible.  Teach  me 
that  Thou  hast  psalmists  even  in  Moab, 
seers  even  in  Midian.  Often  have  I  mar- 
velled at  the  Balaams  of  this  world.  I  have 
seen  gifted  souls,  inspired  souls,  who  have 
not  been  numbered  with  Thy  congregation  ; 

1  have  read  thoughts  of  sublime  beauty 
which  have  not  issued  from  Thy  tabernacle  ; 
I  have  found  deeds  of  sacrificial  love  which 
have  not  radiated  from  Thy  visible  altar — 
and  I  have  wondered.  Let  me  wonder  no 
more.    Increase  my  charity,  O  God. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  169 

NOVEMBER  17 

Watchword:  "Thon  hast  spoken  kindly   unto  thine 
handmaid,"— Ruth  ii.  13. 

Plant  in  my  garden,  O  Lord,  this  lily  of 
kindness.  I  often  neglected  it  for  more 
specious  flowers.  I  seek  the  red  rose  of  a 
great  sacrifice,  something  which  will  re- 
veal the  shedding  of  blood.  I  say,  If  I 
could  be  a  missionary,  if  I  could  give  my 
life  for  Thy  cause,  that  would  be  something 
Thou  couldst  accept ;  but  I  have  neither  the 
fire  nor  the  lamb  for  such  an  offering.  And 
so  I  fold  my  hands  in  impotence.  Yet  all 
the  time  there  is  a  field  in  front  of  my  own 
door  where  I  can  find  a  larger  sacrifice. 

NOVEMBER  18 

Watchword  i  "  And  G-ideon  said,  I  will  not  rule  over  you 
. . .  the  Lord  shall  rule  over  you."— Judg.  viii.  23. 

Lord,  give  me  the  peace  of  Gideon.  Give 
me  the  peace  of  mind  that  can  subsist  amid 
stress  of  body ;  give  me  the  calm  of  soul 
that  can  live  amid  storms  of  sea.  Often  is 
Thy  peace  bestowed  when  the  world's  peace 
is  denied.  Make  my  heart  like  the  strength 
of  Gideon.  Send  me  the  calm  that  cannot 
be  accounted  for.  Send  me  the  peace  that 
cannot  be  explained.  Send  me  the  gladness 
independent  of  glitter,  the  radiance  inde- 
pendent of  riches,  the  brightness  indepen- 
dent of  earthly  benefits. 


I70  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

NOVEMBER  19 

Watcliword!  "  The  Spirit  of  God  was  brooding  upon  the 
face  of  the  waters."— Gen.  i.  2. 

Let  Thy  Spirit  ever  brood  on  the  face  of 
my  waters,  O  Christ,  saying  to  the  chaos, 
"  Let  there  be  light."  Let  my  light  precede 
the  green  grass,  precede  the  herb  and  plant 
and  tree.  Let  it  come  before  the  flowers, 
before  the  fruits  come.  Let  it  shine  while 
my  world  is  yet  a  wilderness,  while  as  yet 
no  vines  have  enriched  my  field.  Reveal 
Thy  rest  in  my  wrestling,  Thy  crown  in  my 
cross,  Thy  kingdom  in  my  cloud.  So  shall 
I  learn  that  Thy  peace  is  a  peace  that  pass- 
eth  understanding. 

NOVEMBER  20 

Watchword  i  "  The  grace  of  onr  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who 
...  for  your  sakes  became  poor."— 2  Cor.  viii.  q. 

I  thank  thee,  O  Christ,  that  Thine  own 
earliest  love  has  been  a  stooping  love,  a 
self-emptying  love.  Not  at  first  were  we  fit 
for  the  adoption  ring  and  the  welcome 
home.  And  because  we  could  not  come  to 
Thee,  Thou  hast  come  to  us.  Thou  hast 
disrobed  Thyself,  discrowned  Thyself. 
Thou  hast  joined  Thyself  to  the  reapers  in 
the  field  of  Time ;  Thou  hast  borne  the  bur- 
den and  heat  of  their  day.  Thou  hast 
broken  the  bread  of  daily  toil,  yea,  and 
blessed  it  too. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  171 

NOVEMBER  21 

"Watchword:  "Jesus  Christ  . . .  who  emptied  Himself, 
and  took  upon  Him  the  form  of  a  servant,  and  was 
made  in  the  likeness  of  men."— Phil.  ii.  7. 

How  generous.  O  Christ,  has  been  Thy 
love  for  man  !  Thou  hast  walked  amid  his 
sea  of  troubles,  and  breasted  with  him  the 
waves.  Thou  hast  dwelt  with  him  in  his 
times  of  mountain  solitude,  and  felt  what  it 
is  to  be  alone.  Thou  hast  stood  in  his  hos- 
pitals ;  Thou  hast  watched  by  his  sick- 
beds ;  Thou  hast  grieved  beside  his  graves ; 
Thou  hast  assumed  his  garb  of  labour  ere 
asking  him  to  wear  Thy  robe  of  righteous- 
ness.    How  generous  has  been  Thy  love ! 

NOVEMBER  22 

Watchword  i  "  And  in  the  midst  a  lamh  as  it  had  been 
slain,"— Rev.  v.  6. 

I  understand  now,  O  Christ,  why  my 
will  has  so  often  been  thwarted,  why  my 
schemes  have  so  often  miscarried.  It  is  be- 
cause Thy  land  of  Canaan  is  a  land  of 
sacrifice,  and  I  am  preparing  for  that  sacri- 
fice. It  is  because  the  rose  of  Thy  heaven 
is  the  passion  flower  of  Calvary.  It  is  be- 
cause the  centre  of  Thy  throne  holds  a 
Lamb  that  was  slain.  It  is  because  the  mes- 
sengers of  Thy  will  are  ministering  spirits. 
It  is  because  the  lowliest  are  the  greatest  in 
the  kingdom  of  Thy  glory. 


172  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

NOVEMBER  23 

■Watchword:  "There  is  a  river  the  streams  whereof 
make  glad  the  city  of  God."— Psa.  xlvi.  4. 

Estimate  me  not,  O  my  God,  by  the 
strains  which  my  brother-man  hears.  Let 
Thine  ear  be  open  to  my  inner  voice.  Lis- 
ten to  my  thoughts  unspoken.  Receive  my 
prayers  unsaid.  Accept  my  sacrifices  un- 
offered.  Attribute  to  me  the  life  that  is  yet 
in  the  germ.  Behold  the  flower  in  my  bud, 
the  fruit  in  my  buried  grain.  Behold  the 
day  in  my  dawn,  the  summer  in  my  spring, 
the  fulness  of  my  year  in  the  faintness  of 
my  yearning.  My  streams  shall  make  glad 
Thy  city  when  they  are  seen  in  the  light  of 
the  river  that  is  to  be. 

NOVEMBER  24 

Watchword:     "Abraham  beheved   God,   and  it  was 
reckoned  unto  him  for  righteousness."— Rom.  iv.  3. 

Impute  to  me,  O  Lord,  the  righteousness 
of  Christ— the  righteousness  of  the  highest. 
I  await  the  redemption  of  the  body;  the 
spirit  is  willing,  but  the  flesh  is  weak.  I 
have  no  adequate  notes  to  express  the  music 
that  is  in  my  soul.  The  song  in  my  heart 
is  better  than  the  song  on  my  lips.  I  have 
aspirings  after  a  melody  which  I  cannot 
produce.  There  are  chords  within  which 
have  never  been  struck  without.  Impute  to 
me  these  wordless  songs,  O  Lord. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  173 

NOVEMBER  25 

Watchword!  "  The  unity  of  the  faith."— Eph.  iv.  13. 

Spirit  of  the  Son  of  Man,  unite  us  in  the 
love  for  man  as  man,  in  the  sympathy  for 
those  wants  which  are  universal  because 
they  are  human.  Unite  us  in  pity  for  the 
poor,  in  distress  for  the  desolate,  in  help 
for  the  homeless,  in  succour  for  the  sinful. 
Then  we  can  afford  to  wait  for  the  unity  of 
the  faith.  Then  can  we  postpone  our  dif- 
ferences about  the  name  we  shall  give  to 
Thy  light,  for  Thine  unnamed  light  shall 
itself  be  our  guide,  and  the  glory  of  its  sac- 
rificial flame  shall  lead  us  both  into  the 
presence  of  the  Father. 

NOVEMBER  26 

Watchword  i  "  It  displeased  Jonah  exceedingly,  and  he 
was  angry."— Jonah  iv.  i. 

Reveal  to  me,  O  Father,  the  breadth  of 
Thy  Divine  presence.  I  too  am  prone  to 
narrow  Thee.  I  have  refused  to  see  Thy 
presence  in  Nineveh.  I  have  been  quite 
willing  that  Nineveh  should  come  to  my 
Jerusalem,  to  my  temple ;  I  have  always 
offered  her  an  open  door  into  the  house 
where  I  worship.  But  I  have  never  dreamed 
that  Nineveh  can  get  a  blessing  within 
her  own  temple.  I  have  never  dreamed 
that  an  altar  built  to  other  names  than 
Thine  can  have  a  step  leading  to  the  sky. 
Teach  me  that  truth,  O  Lord. 


174  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

NOVEMBER  27 

Watchword ;  "  And  God  said,  Let  us  make  man  in  our 
image,  and  let  them  have  dominion  over  the  fish  of 
the  sea,  and  over  the  fowl  of  the  air,  and  over  the 
cattle."-GEN.  i.  26. 

My  Father,  fill  me  with  love  for  things 
beneath  me.  Forbid  that  I  should  be  cruel 
to  the  beast  of  the  field.  Give  me  the  ten- 
derness that  is  born  of  reverence.  Teach 
me  to  revere  the  creation  that  is  under  me. 
Was  not  its  life  a  stream  from  Thy  life  ?  Is 
not  its  life  a  mystery  to  me  even  now  ?  Let 
me  uncover  my  head  before  the  mystery. 
Shall  I  bruise  that  which  is  so  full  of  Thee, 
which  surpasses  me  even  while  it  obeys  me? 

NOVEMBER  28 

Watchword :  "  And  the  Lord  said,  Doest  thou  well  to  be 
angry?"— Jonah  iv.  4. 

O  Love,  Divine  Love,  imputing  to  me,  to 
all  things,  more  than  the  voice  can  ask  or 
the  thought  express,  let  us  magnify  Thy 
name  together.  Thou  answerest,  not  our 
words,  but  our  needs ;  unite  us  by  our  needs. 
Send  us  the  Day  of  Pentecost  once  more. 
We  have  many  tongues  in  the  flesh ;  let  us 
speak  one  language  in  the  spirit.  We  have 
many  creeds  in  the  mind ;  let  us  recognise 
a  common  craving  in  the  heart.  We  fix  our 
trembling  gaze  each  on  a  different  star; 
tell  us  that  through  them  all  we  see  one 
golden  light. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  175 

NOVEMBER  29 

Watchword  i  "  Strengthened  with  might  by  His  Spirit 
in  the  inner  man,"— Kph.  iii.  i6. 

My  strength,  too,  shall  be  renewed  like 
the  eagle's,  O  Divine  Spirit,  when  Thou 
hast  strengthened  my  inner  man.  Give  me 
back  the  freshness  of  the  inward  Spring — 
the  buoyant  expectation  of  to-morrow,  the 
quenchless  hope  of  the  good  time  coming. 
Restore  me  the  elastic  bound  that  sorrow 
could  not  keep  down,  the  lightness  that 
burdens  could  not  crush,  the  ardour  that 
coldness  could  not  cool.  Then  shall  the 
pastures  grow  green  again ;  and  the  res- 
toration of  the  soul  shall  be  the  restitution 
of  all  things. 

NOVEMBER  30 

Watchword :  "  If  the  salt  have  lost  its  savour,  where- 
with shall  it  be  salted?  "—Matt.  v.  13. 

Therefore,  Thou  Divine  Spirit,  I  come  to 
Thee.  I  want  to  have  my  youth  renewed 
within — at  the  heart.  I  know  that  the  heart 
should  be  ever  young,  but  mine  is  old,  and 
because  my  heart  is  old  the  whole  tree  of 
life  is  withered.  Often  have  I  pondered 
these  words  of  Thine,  ''  If  the  salt  have  lost 
its  savour,  wherewith  shall  it  be  salted?" 
If  the  heart  be  old,  if  the  principle  of  youth 
itself  be  withered,  what  can  make  us  young? 
Thou,  O  Spirit,  Thou  canst  give  me  back 
my  youth.    Renew  the  childhood  of  my  spirit. 


DECEMBER  i 

Watchword !  "  At  evening  time  there  shall  be  light." 
Zech.  xiv.  7. 

Teach  the  victims  of  human  struggle,  O 
our  Father,  to  l<;now  that  Thou  liast  a 
beauty  for  the  faded  flower,  a  garment  of 
praise  for  the  spirit  of  heaviness,  and  that 
there  is  no  light  so  lovely  as  the  Hght  at 
evening  time. 

DECEMBER  2 

Watchword  i  "  The  flame  of  a  sword  which  turned  every 
way  to  protect  the  tree  of  life."— Gen.  iii.  24. 

O  Thou  Divine  Love,  the  tree  of  life  is 
safe  if  I  have  Tliee.  I  could  not  violate 
one  leaf  in  Thy  presence.  Teach  me  that 
love,  love  to  Thee,  is  the  flaming  sword 
that  keeps  the  way  to  the  tree  of  life.  Men 
are  crying  out  that  old  safeguards  are  be- 
ing withdrawn.  The  fires  of  hell  are  less 
visible  than  they  used  to  be.  Be  it  so ; 
the  fires  of  hell  were  never  the  flaming 
sword  of  my  garden.  I  do  not  think  they 
would  have  kept  me  from  injuring  any 
branch  of  the  tree ;  I  was  always  dead  to 
their  law.  But  when  I  saw  Thee,  I  be- 
held a  more  threatening  flame.  It  burned 
in  front  of  my  heart ;  it  would  not  let  me 
pass  to  hurt  my  brother. 

176 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  177 

DECEMBER  3 

Watchword;  "  I  will  lift  up  mine  eyes  nnto  the  hills." 
PSA.  cxxi.  I. 

Make  me  humble  by  the  sight  of  Thy 
hills,  O  Lord.  What  time  my  heart  is  lifted 
up  with  the  pride  of  its  vanished  yesterday, 
bring  me  to  the  foot  of  Thy  Mount  of 
Beatitudes.  Let  me  see  the  distance  be- 
tween my  soul  and  Jesus.  Send  me  a, 
breath  of  Thy  mountain  air,  to  teach  me 
the  narrowness  of  what  I  call  my  freedom. 
Lend  me  one  throb  of  Thy  pulse  of  love, 
to  tell  me  the  poverty  of  my  reign  of  law. 
I  shall  cease  to  linger  on  the  plain  of  Sodom 
when  my  eyes  have  rested  on  the  heights 
of  Calvary. 

DECEMBER  4 

Watchword:  "So  the  priests  blew  with  the  trumpets, 
and  the  people  shouted  with  a  great  shout,  and  the 
wall  fell  down  flat."-JosH.  vi.  20. 

Let  me  not  ask,  O  God,  how  the  sound  of 
my  trumpet  can  aid  the  fall  of  Jericho.  Let 
me  not  ask  why  I  am  to  go  round  about 
when  there  is  a  short  and  easy  way.  When 
I  see  not  the  Promised  Land,  let  me  feel  the 
promised  Hand.  When  I  view  not  Thy 
glory,  let  me  have  Thy  guidance.  When  I 
have  lost  sight  of  Thy  coming,  let  me  strain 
the  ear  for  Thy  command.  I  shall  not 
weep  the  want  of  the  wing,  if  only  I  can 
say  "  One  step  enough  for  me." 


1 78  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

DECEMBER  5 

Watchword!  "Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart,  for  they 
shall  see  God,"— Matt.  v.  8. 

My  heart  needs  Thee,  O  Lord,  my  heart 
needs  Thee.  No  part  of  my  being  needs 
Thee  like  my  heart.  All  else  within  me  can 
be  filled  with  Thy  gifts.  My  hunger  can  be 
satisfied  by  daily  bread.  My  weariness  can 
be  relieved  by  outward  rest.  But  no  out- 
ward thing  can  make  my  heart  pure.  This 
world  has  not  provided  for  my  heart.  Pro- 
vide Thou  for  my  heart,  O  Lord.  Be  Thou 
its  strength.  Guide  it  in  its  gloom ;  help 
it  in  its  conflict ;  direct  it  in  its  doubt ; 
calm  it  in  its  conflict;  prompt  it  in  its  per- 
plexity ;  raise  it  from  its  ruins.  I  cannot 
rule  this  heart  of  mine.  Keep  it  under  the 
shadow  of  Thy  wings, 

DECEMBER  6 

Watchword ;  "  He  that  is  not  against  us  is  on  our  part." 
Mark  ix.  40. 

Spirit  of  Christ,  help  me  to  trace  more 
widely  Thy  presence  and  Thy  power. 
Teach  me  that  Thou  art  the  source  of  all 
light,  even  when  it  shines  amidst  those 
who  deny  Thee.  I  distinguish  between  gifts 
of  nature  and  gifts  of  grace ;  teach  me  that 
nature  itself  is  a  gift  of  grace  from  Thee. 
Give  me  the  power  to  impute  Thy  presence 
wherever  I  behold  Thy  works  of  love. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  179 

DECEMBER  7 

Watchword;  "And  Hannah  prayed  and  said,  My  heart 
exulteth  in  the  Lord."— i  Sam.  ii.  i. 

0  Lord  of  grace  and  goodness,  keep  alive 
Thy  grace  and  goodness  in  the  women  of 
our  land.  Preserve  a  hallowed  spot  where 
the  piety  of  Hannah  may  dwell.  I  would 
not  have  it  hallowed  by  exclusion  from  the 
world ;  I  would  not  have  it  walled  in  from 
the  highway  of  human  toil.  I  would  have 
Hannah's  flower  planted,  not  in  the  garden, 
but  in  the  city. 

DECEMBER  8 

Watchword :  "  Whither  thou  goest  I  will  go." 
Ruth  i.  i6. 

1  thank  Thee,  O  Lord,  here  is  a  woman 
who  shines  only  by  her  heart — I  am  glad 
Thou  hast  set  apart  a  corner  for  the  heart 
alone.  I  am  glad  Thou  hast  chosen  Thy 
specimen  of  female  decidedness  from  a 
simple  act  of  love.  I  am  glad  Thou  hast 
revealed  a  type  of  womanly  heroism  in  one 
who  was  not  clever,  not  sparkling,  not  even 
strong  in  practical  working,  but  merely  a 
domesticated  girl  clinging  to  a  domestic 
affection.  Let  this  be  a  message  to  those 
who  are  not  clever,  nor  gifted,  nor  spark- 
ling, not  strong  in  practical  results.  Let 
it  tell  them  Thou  hast  a  sphere  of  women's 
heroism,  distinct  from  any  of  these — the 
sphere  of  those  who  simply  will  to  do. 


i8o  DAY  UNTO  DAY 


DECEMBER  9 

Watchword !  "  Blessed  are  they  that  have  not  seen  and 
yet  have  believed."— John  xx.  29. 

O  Thou  that  comest  not  through  the  five 
gates,  help  me  to  discern  Thee,  by  Thine 
own  light.  Teach  me  that  there  are  other 
gates  than  the  five.  Tell  me  that  there  are 
portals  more  golden  than  the  eye  or  the  ear. 
Once  didst  Thou  call  a  disciple  blessed  be- 
cause he  saw  in  Thee  what  flesh  and  blood 
could  not  reveal.  Be  mine  that  blessedness 
for  evermore.  Enable  me  to  see  Thy  glory 
beneath  that  form  which  was  more  marred 
than  the  sons  of  men. 

DECEMBER  10 

Watchword ;  "  A  holy  temple  in  the  Lord,  in  whom  ye 
also  are  bnilded  together  for  an  habitation  of  G-od 
through  the  Spirit."-EPH.  ii.  21,  22. 

Give  me  a  stone  in  the  building  of  this 
Thy  house,  O  my  God.  I  bring  Thee  my 
gladness  for  its  morning  hymn.  I  bring 
Thee  my  sadness  for  its  evening  song,  my 
defects  for  its  altar  of  sacrifice.  I  bring 
Thee  my  strength  that  I  may  support  some 
part,  my  weakness  that  some  part  may  sup- 
port me.  I  bring  Thee  my  moments  of 
faith  that  there  may  be  service  by  day,  and 
my  moments  of  doubt  that  there  may  be 
service  by  night.  Let  all  the  gates  of  Thy 
temple  be  open  to  my  soul,  O  Lord. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  i8i 

DECEMBER  ii 

Watchword:  "  Unto  us  a  Child  is  born,  and  His  name 
shall  be  called  Prince  of  Peace."— Isa.  ix.  6. 

Send  me  this  new  Prince,  O  my  Father, 
this  Prince  of  Peace;  nothing  but  Christ 
will  put  out  Barabbas  from  my  heart.  Send 
into  my  heart  a  fresh  ideal.  Send  me  a 
sight  of  the  ''  altogether  lovely."  Send  me 
a  vision  of  the  "  chief  among  ten  thousand." 
Send  me  a  picture  of  Him  who  is  "  fairer 
than  the  children  of  men."  Break  the  old 
ideal  by  the  vision  of  a  higher  beauty.  Let 
my  night  fade  in  Thy  morning,  my  thorn 
vanish  in  Thy  flower.  One  leaf  of  Thy 
summer's  bloom  will  disenchant  me  of  the 
winter's  charm.  The  idols  will  be  broken 
when  I  see  Thy  King  "  on  the  holy  hill  of 
Zion." 

DECEMBER  12 

Watchword  i  "  That  He  would  grant  you  ; . .  to  be 
strengthened  with  might,  by  His  Spirit  in  the  inner 
man."— Eph,  ill.  16. 

May  I  understand,  O  my  Father,  that  the 
strengthening  of  the  inner  man  is  love's 
brightest  jewel,  given  in  its  roughest  casket. 
Thou  canst  not  send  it  to  me  through  the 
flowers  of  Eden ;  it  can  come  only  through 
the  tears  of  Gethsemane,  It  justifies  the 
long,  dark  night  with  its  desertedness  and 
its  agony.  In  the  light  of  Thy  love  the 
dark  things  are  illuminated  by  Thee. 


i82  DAY  UNTO  DAY 


DECEMBER  13 

■Watchword;  "There  are  diversities  of  ministrations, 
and  the  same  Lord."— i  Cok.  xii.  5. 

Let  my  imagination  be  thine,  O  Christ ; 
merge  it  in  the  ocean  of  Thy  love,  that  it 
may  come  forth  filled  with  the  ideal  of  Thy 
beauty.  Let  my  heart  be  Thine ;  rest  it  with 
Thee  on  the  bosom  of  the  Father,  that  it 
may  come  forth  desiring  nothing  which 
Thou  desirest  not  and  loving  nothing 
which  is  not  loved  by  Thee. 

DECEMBER  14 

Watchword:  "And  God  saw  everything  that  He  had 
made,  and  behold  it  was  very  good."— Gen.  i.  31. 

It  was  very  good  at  the  last,  the  evenings 
as  well  as  the  mornings.  O  Thou  Divine 
Creator,  give  me  the  faith  in  Thine  own 
experience.  Help  me  to  believe  in  the  ulti- 
mate glory  of  my  evenings.  I  call  Thee 
good  in  the  morning  hours,  when  the  sun 
of  life  is  mounting  high ;  but  I  have  not  yet 
learned  to  thank  Thee  for  the  evening.  I 
call  it  chance,  accident,  misfortune,  every- 
thing but  goodness.  Thou  art  never  nearer 
me  than  in  the  evening  hours.  When  Thou 
hast  finished  my  creation  I  shall  know  how 
glorious  have  been  its  evenings,  how  full 
of  hidden  light.  From  the  heights  of  Thy 
Sabbath  rest  I  shall  judge  all  things.  I 
shall  say  with  Thee,  "  It  is  all  very  good." 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  183 


DECEMBER  15 

Watchword :  "  After  the  fire,  a  still  small  voice." 
I  Kings  xix.  12. 

I  thank  Thee,  O  Lord,  that  to  EHjah  and 
to  me  Thou  hast  revealed  a  new  and  better 
way.  I  used  to  think  that  law  would  re- 
deem Thy  world.  I  thought  that  stern  pen- 
alties would  repress  the  course  of  crime. 
Thou  hast  taught  me  better,  O  my  Father. 
Thou  hast  taught  me  that  the  love  of  evil 
can  only  be  extinguished  by  another  love. 
I  love  wrongly,  but  none  the  less  do  I  love 
intensely ;  nothing  but  another  love  will 
set  me  free.  Therefore,  O  Father,  let  me 
love  anew. 

DECEMBER  16 

Watchword  i  "  He  [Elisha]  took  up  also  the  mantle  of 
Elijah  that  fell  from  him."— 2  Kings  ii.  13. 

I  thank  Thee,  O  Father,  there  is  here  a 
memorial  to  human  friendship.  I  thank 
Thee  that  Thou  hast  suffered  Elisha  to  be 
swayed  by  the  memory  of  a  departed  friend ; 
it  is  Thine  own  imprimatur  on  the  sacred- 
ness  of  earthly  love.  Thou  wouldst  tell  me 
that  the  fire  of  death  cannot  burn  up  the 
mantle  of  earthly  influence.  Teach  me  that 
Elijah  can  finish  his  work  from  beyond 
the  grave.  Teach  me  that  a  departed  life 
may  hold  in  my  heart  an  empire  which  no 
present  life  can  claim.  So  shall  I  learn  the 
immortality  of  love. 


i84  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

DECEMBER  17 

Watchword :  "  A  man  had  two  sons,  and  lie  came  to  the 
first  and  said,  Son,  go  work  to-day  in  my  vineyard. 
And  he  answered  and  said,  I  will  not :  but  afterwards 
he  repented  himself,  and  went."— Matt.  xxi.  28,  29. 

There  are  those  who  say  "  I  will  not " 
and  yet  go — men  who  call  themselves  unbe- 
lievers, and  yet  do  the  works  of  the  Father. 
Help  me,  O  Lord,  to  impute  to  them  more 
than  they  claim,  to  see  that  no  man  could 
do  these  works  unless  Thou  hadst  sent  him. 
Help  me  to  give  to  such  the  hand  of  broth- 
erhood— to  recognise  that  we  must  reach 
the  unity  of  the  heart  before  we  can  come 
into  the  unity  of  the  faith.  Help  me  to 
detect  the  family  likeness  that  binds  me  to 
men  of  other  creeds — the  evidence  of  one 
Fatherhood,  the  proof  of  one  humanity. 

DECEMBER  18 

Watchword !  "  Peace  I  leave  with  yon,  My  peace  I  give 
nnto  you."— John  xiv.  27. 

Lord,  help  me  to  keep  my  love.  What- 
ever else  I  lose  may  I  never  lose  that.  There 
is  a  peace  which  comes  by  the  death  of  pa- 
tience— by  ceasing  any  longer  to  wait  or  to 
expect.  There  is  a  peace  which  is  not  pa- 
tience, because  it  prays  for  nothing — a  peace 
which  is  painless  because  it  is  numb,  and  is 
free  from  struggle  because  it  is  dead.  I 
would  not  have  that  gift,  O  my  Father. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  185 

DECEMBER  19 

Watchword  s  "  In  everything  give  thanks," 
I  Thess.  v.  18. 

Teach  me,  O  my  Father,  in  everything  to 
give  thantcs — not  to  praise  Thee  for  the 
night,  but  to  bless  Thee  that  the  night  is 
not  deeper.  .  .  .  Thou  hast  never  allowed 
the  uppermost  deep  of  misery  to  any  hu- 
man soul ;  the  cable  may  creak  and  strain, 
but  it  is  anchored  within  the  veil.  Is  it  not 
written,  '*  He  has  put  my  tears  into  His 
bottle "  ?  The  quantity  of  Thy  griefs  is 
measured ;  there  is  a  bound  which  they  can- 
not pass.  Thank  God  for  that  boundary, 
O  my  soul. 

DECEMBER  20 

"Watchword  i  "  I  thank  Thee  that  I  am  not  as  other 
men."— I^UKE  xviii.  ii. 

O  Thou  whose  nature  and  whose  name  is 
Love,  let  me  not  pause  short  of  Thee.  Let 
me  not  linger  on  the  march  of  my  pilgrim- 
age at  any  spot  less  beautiful  than  Love. 
Let  me  not  be  content  to  say,  "  I  have  kept 
the  law,  I  have  not  struck,  not  robbed,  not 
slain."  Let  me  not  be  satisfied  to  think, 
"  I  have  been  in  all  my  dealings  just;  from 
what  a  height  do  I  look  down  on  Sodom !  " 
Nay,  my  Father,  but  let  me  rather  say, 
"  From  what  a  height  dost  Thou  look  down 
on  me."  Teach  me  that  all  safety  comes 
from  looking  up,  not  down. 


i86  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

DECEMBER  21 

Watchword !  "  For  we  are  God's  fellow-workers." 
I  Cor.  iii.  q  (R.  V.). 

Impress  me  with  the  awfulness,  O  my 
God,  of  being  an  unconscious  worker  with 
Thee.  Teach  me  the  untold  possibilities  of 
my  smallest  action.  Tell  me  that  the  stone 
which  I  leave  in  the  desert  may  be  one  day 
the  centre  of  Thy  city — not  because  it  has 
changed  its  place,  but  because  Thy  places 
have  come  round  it.  Let  me  consecrate  by 
prayer  my  most  common  deed  ere  it  quits 
my  hand,  knowing  that  1  hou  hast  a  motive 
behind  my  motive.  It  shall  be  cast  farther 
than  my  utmost  strength  can  throw,  for  it 
is  impelled  by  a  purpose  higher  than  its 
own. 

DECEMBER  22 

Watchword!  "There  are  diversities  of  gifts,  hut  the 
same  Spirit."— i  Cor.  xii.  4. 

Spirit  of  Christ,  Spirit  of  the  Crucified 
One,  let  all  my  gifts  be  permeated  by  Thee. 
Let  my  reason  be  Thine ;  bathe  it  in  the 
stream  of  Thy  sacrifice,  that  it  may  come 
forth  seeking  truth  for  itself  alone,  truth 
at  any  price,  truth  though  it  lead  to  mar- 
tyrdom. Let  my  will  be  Thine ;  wash  it  in 
the  fountain  of  Thy  blood,  that  it  may  come 
forth  bound  with  that  chain  of  love  whose 
bondage  is  perfect  freedom. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  187 

DECEMBER  23 

Watchword !  "  And  the  child  Samuel  ministered  nnto  the 
Lord."— I  Sam.  iii.  i. 

My  Father,  prepare  a  place  for  the  child- 
life  that  lingers  in  my  heart.  Prepare  a 
place  for  that  instinct  which  points  toward 
to-morrow.  Thou  hast  prepared  a  Place^^^, 
my  vesterday-Thoii  hast  cancelled  the  dark 
deeds  of  my  past.  Thou  hast  prepared  a 
place  for  to-day-Thou  hast  promised 
strength  for  the  hour.  But  I  have  a  need 
beyond  my  yesterday,  beyond  to-day  i 
have  a  yearning  for  to-morrow.  batisty 
this  yearning,  O  my  Father. 

DECEMBER  24 

Watchword :  "  Though  He  slay  me,  yet  will  I  trust." 
Job  xiii.  15- 

My  Father,  behold.  Thou  comest  to  me  in 
clouds.    Life  is  overcast  to  me.     Men  want 
me  to  trace  Thee,  but  I  will  not  trace  Thee^ 
"  The  cup  which  my  Father  has  given  me  to 
drink,   shall   I   not   drink  it."     I   accept  in 
the    darkness    the    burden    Thou    hast    laid 
tioon  me-  I  take  it  unexplained.    I  come  to 
Thee  Tn  the  night,  the  unvindicated  night. 
I  accept  Thee  in  Thy  mean  attire,  in  Thy 
unattractive  raiment,  in  Thy  ^^V^}''"^^  ^'^'^^ 
I  do  not  seek  to  comprehend  Thee     I  take 
Thee  with  Thy  mystery.   Though  Thou  sla> 
me,  yet  will  I  trust. 


i88  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

DECEMBER  25 

Watchword :  "  For  the  Spirit  searcheth  all  things,  yea 
the  deep  things  of  God."— i  Cor.  ii.  10. 

Spirit  of  love,  Spirit  of  the  All-Father, 
Thou  alone  canst  interpret  the  dark  places 
that  surround  Thee.  Only  when  I  learn 
that  this  world  is  Thy  school-house  shall  [ 
find  the  vindication  of  its  pain.  I  cannot 
penetrate  the  deep  things  of  Joseph's  dun- 
geon except  by  the  light  of  Thy  Father- 
hood ;  it  seems  hard  to  see  the  vanishing 
of  youth,  through  the  iron  entering  into 
the  soul.  But  the  education  of  Thy  Fath- 
erhood explains  all.  There  is  no  gift  of 
parental  love  like  the  iron  of  the  soul — 
the  strengthening  of  the  inner  man. 

DECEMBER  26 

Watchword :  "  Fear  not  1  for  hehold  I  bring  yon  good 
tidings  of  great  joy,  which  shall  be  to  all  people."— 
Luke  ii.  10. 

I  would  rather  have  a  solitary  grief  than 
a  solitary  joy,  O  my  Father.  If  I  must  be 
imprisoned  within  myself,  let  it  not  be  by 
the  gates  of  pearl  and  gold.  My  chariot  of 
fire  would  burn  me  if  I  ascended  alone. 
How  could  I  tell  my  joy  to  my  brother  if  it 
were  not  a  universal  joy?  Therefore,  O 
my  Father,  I  rejoice  that  Thou  hast  sent 
into  my  heart  a  ray  of  glory  that  is  not  for 
mvself  alone. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  189 

DECEMBER  27 

Watchword!  "  Solomon  . .  .  began  to  build  the  house  of 
the  Lord."— I  Kings  vi.  i. 

Lord,  Thou  art  building  a  temple  greater 
than  that  of  Solomon — the  temple  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  Give  me  a  stone  in  the  build- 
ing of  that  house.  If  I  have  many  places 
in  my  soul,  give  me  many  duties  for  the 
temple.  In  my  time  of  singing  train  me  for 
its  choir.  In  my  time  of  business  enrich  me 
for  its  maintenance.  In  my  time  of  health 
strengthen  me  to  raise  its  walls.  In  my 
time  of  sickness  give  me  patience  to  bear 
its  burdens.  I  would  bring  all  my  posses- 
sions of  mind  and  body  as  subscriptions  to 
Thy  building. 

DECEMBER  28 

Watchword ;  "  Ye  also  are  become  dead  to  the  law  by 
the  body  of  Christ."— Rom.  vii.  4. 

Ever  so  stand,  Thou  Son  of  Man.  Stand 
Thou  in  the  breach  and  protect  my  brother 
by  Thy  love  in  me.  Stand  Thou  in  the 
scene  of  my  passions ;  then  though  the 
thunders  roll  not,  though  the  storm  has 
ceased  to  be  an  avenger,  though  the  sub- 
terranean fires  are  almost  lost  to  view,  the 
flame  in  my  heart  shall  be  an  ample  bar- 
rier to  any  deed  unkind.  The  fetters  re- 
moved from  my  hand  shall  enclose  my 
spirit ;  I  shall  be  taken  captive  by  love  when 
I  am  loosed  from  law. 


igo  DAY  UNTO  DAY 

DECEMBER  29 

Watchword  1  "  There  are  diversities  of  workings,  "but  the 
same  (jod,  who  worketh  all  tilings  in  all."— i  Cor. 

xii.  6. 

Let  my  manner  be  Thine,  O  Lord  Christ ; 
plunge  it  in  the  wave  of  Thy  self-forget- 
fulness,  that  it  may  come  forth  sparkling 
with  that  grace  which  flows  from  uncon- 
sciousness alone.  Then  shall  my  whole  life 
be  religion,  then  shall  my  whole  atmos- 
phere be  prayer,  then  shall  my  whole  em- 
ployment be  service  of  Thee.  My  diverse 
gifts  shall  become  gifts  of  the  sanctuary 
when,  O  Spirit  of  sacrifice,  they  are  bap- 
tized by  Thee. 

DECEMBER  30 

Watchword :  "  The  natural  man  receiveth  not  the  things 
of  the  Spirit  of  God  .  .  .  because  they  are  spiritually 
discerned,"— I  Cor.  ii.  14. 

Inspire  me,  O  Christ,  with  the  knowl- 
edge that  Thou  art  a  King  in  the  very  mo- 
ment when  Thou  art  discrowned  by  Pilate's 
judgment-seat.  Show  me  the  power  of 
Thy  sacrifice,  the  glory  of  Thy  shame,  the 
strength  of  Thy  gentleness,  the  empire  of 
Thy  love.  When  I  have  received  Thine 
image  in  my  heart  nothing  shall  be  so 
natural  as  the  vision  of  Thee;  when  Thy 
spirit  of  unselfishness  is  mine.  Thy  beauty 
shall  be  spiritually  discerned. 


DAY  UNTO  DAY  191 

DECEMBER  31 

Watchword:  "The   peace  of  G-od  which  passeth  all 
understanding."— PHIL.  iv.  7. 

Bring  me  that  peace  of  Thine,  O  my 
God.  It  is  as  the  peace  of  the  ocean,  which 
holds  depths  beneath  it.  It  is  not  the  rest 
of  lifelessness,  but  the  rest  of  balance.  Thy 
patience  is  the  patience,  not  of  spentness, 
but  of  expectancy ;  it  rests  in  hope.  Bring 
me  the  peace  of  pulsation,  the  calm  of  cour- 
age, the  endurance  that  springs  from  en- 
ergy. Bring  me  the  fortitude  of  fervour, 
the  repose  through  inner  radiancy,  the 
tenacity  that  is  born  of  trust.  Bring  me  the 
silence  that  comes  from  serenity,  the  gen- 
tleness that  is  bred  of  joy,  the  quiet  that 
has  sprung  from  quickened  faith.  When  I 
hear  Thee  in  the  whirlwind,  there  will  be 
a  great  calm. 


L'ENVOIE. 

0  Love  that  will  not  let  me  go, 

I  rest  my  weary  soul  on  Thee; 

1  give  Thee  back  the   life   I  owe, 
That  in  Thy  ocean  depths  its  flow 

May    richer,    fuller   be. 

O  Light  that  followest  all  my  way, 

I  yield  my  flickering  torch  to  Thee; 
My  heart  restores  its  borrowed  ray. 
That  in  Thy  sunshine's  blaze  its  day 
May  brighter,   fairer  be. 

0  Joy  that  seekest   me  through  pain, 
T   cannot  close  my  heart  to  Thee ! 

1  trace  the  rainbow  through  the  rain. 
And  feel  the  promise  is  not  vain 

That  morn  shall  tearless  be. 

0  Cross   that   liftest  up  my   head, 

I  dare  not  ask  to  fly  from  Thee : 

1  lay  in  dust,  life's  glory  dead, 

And  from  the  ground  there  blossoms  red 
Life  that  shall  endless  be. 


192 


DATE  DUE 

rrriiaiifiir^ 

, 

i 

U:i^M 

1     1 

CAYLONO 

PMINTCO  IN  U.S.A. 

